The Heroines Who Framed Me Are Clinging to Me

Chapter 39 - Claire’s Crisis

"Now, now, everyone calm down. It was just a joke. As for Jenna… she’ll have to try a bit harder."

Jenna began to sniffle.

The village chief stood up, offered his apologies, and left for a moment.

— Clatter.

There was a brief noise from the kitchen.

Soon, the chief returned, holding glasses and a small bottle in each hand.

"Everyone, have a drink."

The liquid in the bottle was a near-transparent shade of purple.

"...What is this? Surely it’s not some kind of aphrodisiac?"

Yulia narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

To her, both Jenna and the chief’s gazes seemed questionable.

Eyes filled with greed.

"Oh no, nothing like that! I swear it was just a joke earlier!"

The chief waved his hands in defense and poured the liquid from the bottle into the glasses.

A sharp alcoholic scent spread through the air.

Lloyd furrowed his brows, then suddenly widened his eyes in surprise.

"Is this by any chance…"

A memory from the past flashed through his mind.

He had heard rumors about a renowned liquor from the continent that everyone had to try at least once.

It was known for its aroma and flavor, but more than that—

"Does it increase mana?"

Yes.

It was famous for that particular effect.

The chief’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"As expected, you’re well-informed."

"It increases mana?"

Yulia’s eyes were still filled with doubt.

Instead of responding, Lloyd simply downed the glass of potato liquor.

The sharp alcohol spread through his throat.

Simultaneously, a subtle stimulation rippled through his mana circuits.

He could feel the previously blocked microcircuits at the edges of his mana flow open up.

"Although the effects aren’t as grand as the rumors suggest, they say there’s a difference between those who’ve tried it and those who haven’t."

A difference?

It was more than that.

‘I’ve unexpectedly made significant progress.’

The blockages in Lloyd’s mana circuits that had been troubling him.

Some of those microcircuits were now fully unblocked thanks to that brief stimulation.

At this rate, his mana recovery might improve by 30-40%.

He had gained something substantial from an unexpected source.

Lloyd bowed his head slightly toward the chief.

"Thank you."

"But this isn’t nearly enough as compensation! Let’s talk about more rewards."

More rewards?

Even Lloyd, who had some sense of decency, was taken aback.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the chief was trying to back out of giving him the original reward.

"You mentioned the potato royalties."

"Of course, that’s a given."

"Then why…"

Hah-hah!

The chief laughed heartily.

"If it weren’t for you, we would’ve lost everything without even knowing what hit us. Let me be clear—both of you are true benefactors of our village."

With a deep bow, the chief lowered his head to a 90-degree angle.

Being treated as a benefactor…

‘This is a bit overwhelming.’

What made it even more uncomfortable were the chief’s bulging muscles that seemed to swell with every breath he took and the admiration in Jenna’s eyes.

Lloyd instinctively knew that asking for something excessive in this situation could be a bad move.

After all, if an entire village ended up depending solely on him, it would become a hassle.

‘Still, I should at least make sure I get something worthwhile.’

Was there anything he needed urgently?

There were plenty of things he could ask for—money, influence, ridiculously powerful gear…

But asking for such things from this village seemed unrealistic.

Maybe he could request something more appropriate.

As Lloyd pondered, a glint appeared in his eyes.

"Then, I’ll take the chief."

"Wha… what?!"

Bam!

Yulia slammed the table.

◆

After returning to the [Social Science Research Institute].

"Lloyd, I almost started doubting your tastes."

Sitting at her desk in the office, Yulia let out a sigh of relief.

"What on earth were you thinking?"

"Taking the chief instead of Jenna…"

"Absolutely not. What were you thinking?"

Yulia shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

It was a shameless gesture befitting a princess.

"…"

What in the world had she seen in the Imperial Palace?

Come to think of it, he had heard that same-sex love was trending among the nobles. There were even rumors that the First Prince was into men.

‘I thought those were just baseless rumors spread by the Second Princess, Aina.’

But seeing Yulia’s reaction, Lloyd began to suspect there might be some truth to them.

A chill ran down his spine.

Lloyd rubbed his arm as goosebumps appeared.

‘I’d better be careful when I visit the palace.’

Honestly, it was awkward to admit, but Lloyd—well, the original body’s appearance—wasn’t lacking in terms of looks. Although he was a bit on the slender side, he still fell on the "not bad" spectrum. Even the Duchess Gray had mentioned that his appearance was one of the reasons she found him interesting.

‘I really need to stay cautious.’

Lloyd made a firm mental note, engraving it in his heart.

However, now was the time for strategy, not idle thoughts.

"As you might’ve guessed, Lady Yulia, the Seven Kill Squad is a significant organization."

"...You mean the real power behind Eastan that you mentioned before. They’re the ones pulling the strings?"

"Yes, that’s highly likely. There’s also the possibility that the Seven Kill Squad itself holds that power."

"Impressive. I hadn’t thought that far."

Yulia murmured in admiration.

Well, it wasn’t exactly something to admire.

He had simply pieced together a few facts.

"It seems they’re heavily involved in drug trafficking. The fact that they even considered turning that village into a drug farm shows they’re operating on a large scale."

But that’s not how a guild would typically approach it. They’d opt for a more direct method, like importing the drugs from elsewhere and selling them immediately. This points to the likelihood that a non-guild entity with deep roots in Eastan is behind these operations.

That made suspicion toward the Seven Kill Squad entirely reasonable.

The problem was that their combat strength wouldn’t be ordinary.

After arriving at the institute, Lloyd had done a brief investigation, and it was clear that Il-Sal, the leader of the Seven Kill Squad, had a fearsome reputation and skills to match, making her nearly unmatched.

‘In the end, if we’re going to take down the Seven Kill Squad, we’ll have to face Il-Sal.’

It was a battle that couldn’t be avoided.

And for this kind of fight, it was crucial to strike quickly, decisively, and with full force.

"I know where the Seven Kill Squad is hiding. What we need to focus on is our fighting strength."

"Our fighting strength?"

"Yes. Just the two of us won’t be enough. They’re assassins… For most situations, my strategies should cover us."

To be precise, Lloyd’s razor-sharp instincts would be key. But the issue lay elsewhere.

"We absolutely need one or two physical-type tanks who can step up when brains alone won’t work."

Yulia frowned.

"But knights can only be deployed when we’re within the Imperial Palace, right?"

Typical of a princess, she immediately thought of using knights, even the elite guards.

"Of course, here we can’t recruit people unless we hire them or take them on as allies."

"...True."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Yulia suddenly looked shocked.

"Wait.. .is that why you wanted the village chief?"

"Yes."

Recalling the chief’s hulking physique, Lloyd grinned.

◆

Rumors started spreading in Eastan.

At first, they seemed insignificant, but given that the subject involved one of the "three heroes," it quickly became the talk of the town.

— They say Vice-Leader Claire is suffering from a severe illness.

— She’s on the verge of death, supposedly cursed after defeating the Demon King.

Harold Trading Company’s Eastan branch.

"...It’s difficult to pinpoint the source of the rumors, Vice-Leader."

Claire listened to the reports with a frown.

Where could the leak have come from?

Only a very select few knew about her health condition.

Her attending physician, her secretary, and perhaps Il-Sal from the Seven Kill Squad.

‘...Whoever it is.’

Claire wasn’t pleased.

Having rumors spread about her was always infuriating.

She understood better than anyone the power of rumors.

When she sent Lloyd to his final stage, the rumors played a significant role in shaping perceptions.

"Rumors should be dealt with while they’re still controllable. Do your best to contain them."

"Yes, ma’am. But there’s one more rumor…"

The secretary trailed off, making Claire’s brow furrow even further.

"What is it?"

"Well, there’s a rumor that someone is plotting against our trading company."

"...What?"

Claire found herself asking again.

A plot? Against Harold Trading Company?

It wasn’t unheard of in the past, but…

‘It hasn’t happened even once since I became a hero.’

This wasn’t something she could tolerate.

Claire’s clenched fist tightened.

"Do you have any specific information?"

"Not much… However, one of the lower-ranked guild members overheard a rather detailed plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"That’s the thing."

"The thing…?"

The secretary lowered his voice.

With some difficulty, he finally spoke.

"There’s talk of assassination attempts targeting you, Vice-Leader."

"Assassination?"

"Yes. There were even detailed plans mentioned, like blowing up the building you’ll visit on your first day in Eastan."

Crunch.

Claire bit down on her lip.

The details were too precise, suggesting someone who knew her well was spreading these rumors.

‘Who could it be?’

No one in particular came to mind, no matter how much she thought about it.

Her mouth went dry.

"Any leads?"

"...Apologies, but we have no leads at this time."

Claire murmured quietly.

‘Damn it.’

If only Lee Han were here.

If he were, none of this would’ve ever been happening to begin with, let alone need to be prevented.

Claire lowered her head, cradling her forehead in her hands.

"...I’m in trouble."

Physical strain coupled with the looming threat of assassination.

Claire could sense that her crisis had truly begun.