The Romance Fantasy Novel MC is Only Into Me

Mercenaries and bandits.
Over a hundred people tangled in chaos, exchanging blades.
Ransell looked again at the man called the Demon King.

“Khahaha! Sweep them all away! Kill them all! How dare they enter the territory of this Demon King!”
Aside from being a fearsome-looking bandit chief thoroughly obsessed with his nickname, there was nothing particularly interesting about him.
‘Huh?’

At that moment, Ransell felt his senses sharpen unexpectedly upon receiving new information.
=============
Name: Mid-level bandit 'Abaron.'

Reward: 30 gold coins and all loot.
Notoriety: 5 Karma points.
==============
“Karma, huh?”
What a stroke of luck.

Ransell gestured toward Marigold, who was atop a tree.
Pointing at the bandit chief, he made a simple, intuitive gesture—drawing a finger across his neck—and she nodded.
“Kill them all! Kill them and send their heads sliced off to Baron Porland...!”

The bandit chief's hearty shout abruptly cut off.
Marigold’s two feet gently landed on his shoulder from above.
“What...!”

A dagger slid out from the embrace of the crouching Marigold on his shoulder.
“Be quiet!”
She pressed the blade to the bandit chief’s neck in a flowing, seamless motion.

“...When did you...!”
“Stop all your men!”
“Profit!”

He was not one to obey kindly. Being captured meant certain execution, so it was a natural reaction.
“You bitch...!”
As he struggled to reach for his weapon, Marigold’s blade slashed across his neck.

“Ugh!”
He collapsed, frothing blood.
=============
Mid-level bandit Abaron defeated.

Karma decreased by 5 points.
Marigold’s current Karma: 10 points.
==============
So that’s how it works—Karma points are deducted equal to what the opponent has accumulated.

‘She should have piled up at least 15 points. What kind of Demon King is that with only 5 points?’
Ransell drew his sword from its sheath. Karma meant nothing until it reset to zero in one cycle anyway.
‘I have to figure out how to deal with those 15 points and finish this cycle.’

Though the penalty was just ‘initial funds stolen,’ it wouldn’t be easy for the young Marigold either.
“Let’s finish up quickly and go collect the reward, Mary.”
“I heard the Baron’s son was captured.”

“Ah.”
.
.
.
“Thank you! Truly thank you! You are the heroes of our region! If you need anything, just say so!”

Having thoroughly ransacked the bandit camp down to the last speck of dust, Ransell and Marigold suddenly found themselves parading through the streets of Porland.
Riding atop an open palanquin.
“The entire city will accept you as heroes! You’ve sent over twenty captured people back to their families!”

The Baron of Porland’s frantic enthusiasm was what caused the current spectacle.
‘What kind of victory parade is this?’
Strong men carrying the palanquin.

Ransell and Marigold sitting atop it.
Thousands of onlookers gathering around.
“Behold! These are the heroes of Porland who defeated the notorious bandits! Remember their faces! Make sure to honor them during the festival!”

The Baron’s repeated cries.
“Heroes of Porland!”
“The mercenary couple!”

Voices from the bewildered crowd chanting absurd things.
Though Ransell shivered in discomfort at the incongruous atmosphere, he didn’t voice any complaints.
“Hello!”

Marigold waved to the crowd.
She was enjoying the moment.
Shaking hands with kids reaching out, petals scattering into her mouth causing her to cough and choke.

“Having fun, huh?”
“Of course. It’s praise after all. Ransell, don’t be so stiff; wave your hand like this.”
Marigold forcibly took Ransell’s hand and waved it. Cheers erupted from the crowd.

“The hero of Porland waved!”
“With those hands, he stripped the bones and flesh off bandits!”

“They say he pulled out their intestines and used them as jump ropes!”

‘That’s gruesome.’
When the parade finally ended.
“Um...”

The Baron of Porland approached with an embarrassed expression.
“The treasury’s tight right now, so the reward will be paid in installments. Is that okay?”
‘No wonder he was making such a fuss.’

It was a deliberate attempt to manufacture heroes. Nobles of the empire were always sly.
In the end, only half of the 30 gold coins—15 coins—actually made it to Ransell’s hands. It wasn’t worth forcing more when they claimed they didn’t have it.
Still, 15 coins were more than enough to cover expenses over the remaining six years, so it was fine.

“In return, during this festival, all expenses you incur will be on me. Enjoy yourselves freely. Come back for the remaining 15 coins the year after next!”
“Yes, well... hmph.”
“Trust in the Porland family’s credit! I’ll definitely pay it the year after next! Definitely!”

Please don’t come asking for it. That’s what the Baron’s eyes said.
 
The Porland Ale Festival.
As expected, it was a grand celebration.

Countless people wandered the streets with mugs of beer, while meat sizzled nonstop at street stalls.
The bandit gang that had troubled the townsfolk was dealt with. The streets were more crowded than usual as people enjoyed the festival.
“Mercenary couple! Heroes of Porland get free food!”

Suddenly, Marigold’s hands were full of meat skewers and large mugs of beer.
Unlike Ransell, who politely declined most offers, she refused to turn down anything. She eagerly ate and drank whatever was given.
“Phew!”

Marigold’s face flushed a deep red from the alcohol.
“Don’t drink too much. You have a nasty drinking habit.”
“No way!”

That was about it.
The festival passed with Marigold and Ransell spending daytime wandering between the harbor and city.
When evening came, they settled down at a corner of the plaza.

“I can’t eat any more, Ransell.”
“You’ve had enough, naturally.”
Ransell patted Marigold’s noticeably rounder belly.

Her beer-filled stomach sounded like a ripe watermelon, plump and full.
“Ugh.”
“...”

“...Sorry.”
Blushing, Marigold clung to Ransell.
“Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“I heard it.”
“Please forget it.”
“I’ll try.”

Her cheek pressed warmly against his shoulder. The alcohol seemed to have raised her body temperature.
In the fading light of Porland plaza, a campfire was being prepared. Voices of workers stacking large logs could be heard.
‘Finding the Demon King in six years with this feeling...’

Ransell doubted it was possible but kept his thoughts to himself.
This cycle was all about Marigold.
Whatever plans or goals she had, he intended to follow without complaint.

===============
— Imperial Year 821, March 25. Mostly clear weather.
— The heat of the festival. Children’s voices. A cool breeze along the harbor. A sunset dyeing the sky red. All etched deeply into Marigold’s memories.
※ To preserve this moment forever, Marigold desperately tries to memorize the festival’s scenery and the presence of her fiancé. Charm, sentiment, allure UP!
“Somehow... I wish time would just stop like this.”

Marigold murmured suddenly.
Ransell recalled memories from previous cycles spent living in a dream with her. She said something similar then too.
Now it wasn’t a dream but clear reality.

“Then just come again. You told me to come get the money.”
“I don’t think there will be time.”
“Then... bring me along next life too.”

Ransell said this to the reincarnated Marigold without much thought.
“...”
Marigold’s eyes trembled and she was silent for a long time.

Watching the whirlpool of emotions on her face, Ransell tilted his head.
“That’s right.”
Marigold finally spoke with difficulty.

“I hadn’t thought about that.”
Time.
Chance.

Coincidentally, two words overflowing between them.
Finding the Demon King, Marigold’s journey, their lives—all had many chances ahead. Maybe infinite.
Even if they occasionally made mistakes or wasted chances in circles, it was fine. They could always look forward to the next.

Whether there was a Demon King or Hero or something like that at the end of the road didn’t really matter. Failure was natural at the start.
“Ah.”

Ransell suddenly rummaged through his pockets.

He remembered something he’d bought earlier during the festival but forgot about.
“Here.”
“...!”

Ransell pulled out a pair of rings.
“They’re cheap ones sold at a street stall.”
They were rings made by melting cheap iron. The stones pretending to be gems were probably just common pebbles.

Seeing them now, regret washed over Ransell. He scratched the back of his neck.
‘Did I choose too hastily?’
He’d bought them on impulse after spotting them, so the design was terribly plain. A noble’s wedding ring looking like this.

“...No, let’s just pretend this never happened and change them later...”
“This is fine.”
Marigold’s hand reached out, grabbing Ransell’s arm as he tried to pull back.

“This will do. No, it has to be this one. Please, Ransell.”
Her grip was firm, filled with determination. Ransell scratched his chin and pulled out the rings again.
“Well... then... let’s think of it as temporary...”

He slowly slid the ring onto Marigold’s slender ring finger. It fit perfectly.
“Even if it’s a cheap ring or necklace, it’s enough if it’s something that reminds you of me. After all, you thought of me when you bought it, right?”
“Is that really enough?”

“That much.”
Marigold’s eyes wavered. A quiet smile settled on her lips that wouldn’t fade. As if reminiscing something.
“I’ll cherish it forever.”

As the cheap ring settled on their hands, flames rose from the campfire.
“Ah!”
An exclamation escaped Marigold’s lips. Ransell blinked at her sudden reaction.

“What is it?”
“Dance! A dance!”
“Dance?”

Marigold quickly stood up.
“Yes! The campfire! Dance!”
Ransell was dragged along by Marigold toward the campfire.

“Phew, almost missed this. That would’ve been bad.”
“...?”
“I’ll lead. Hehe.”

The festival dance was far from elegant like those at noble courts.
It was a rowdy space filled with drunken townsfolk, just holding hands and spinning around.
The music was terrible, the fire ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) too hot, causing some to get singed heads, and fights broke out when drunkards got handsy with women.

“Uhuhu!”
Still, the only thing that remained in Ransell’s memory was Marigold’s silly laughter.
.
.
.

“What are you writing so seriously?”
Back at their lodgings, Ransell saw Marigold scribbling something in a notebook.
“Ha!”

As Ransell approached, Marigold quickly hid it behind her back.
“It’s a secret.”
“...”

Ransell barely suppressed the urge to peek.
“So where to next?”
Marigold quickly unfolded a map.

“First, we’ll cross the Ritten Desert. It takes about three days to pass, so we need to prepare well... Then there’s a famous place called Firefly Village...”
Marigold pointed at each destination as she explained but stopped at one place.
“Here.”

An unmarked spot on the map.
“My hometown will be the last place before we enter the archipelago.”
The landholding of the Marigold Count family.

It seemed to be the final destination of this journey.
Ransell quietly took note of the place on the map.
.
.
.

“This is the area.”
He pointed at the empty spot on the map.
“Here, the Prince will search for a woman. He’ll capture everyone he can and take them all!”

Kyle Dante listened while picking at his ear.
The knight order he belonged to, the ‘Orlens Knights,’ were all about physical strength. That was why he liked it.
“All blondes with green eyes are to be caught. Whether by force or willingly—everyone! Gather them all and bring them to the Prince! Understand, you fools!”

“Yes, sir!”
“The Budnia Knights are also participating in this. We can’t let those gentlemen steal our glory. Especially you, Kyle! You wouldn’t live with losing to your brother, right?”
Suddenly, a memory of his fiancée, Miss Dunk, flashed in Kyle Dante’s mind.

—“Go and get the viscountcy. The one your brother was supposed to get. If you bring that back, both I and Father will respect you more, won’t we?”
“I have to win.”
Kyle Dante.

He had plenty of reasons to beat his brother.
“Winning is all that matters.”