CHAPTER 52: CRAZY GIRL

Richard was curious and without a clear destination, so when he was far enough, he followed her, wanting to know what she was doing.

To his surprise, she entered a narrow alley that led into a slum area even larger than the Purple Rose Village.

Richard peeked in while leaning against the wall of a building beside the alley.

It was dark, but his sight was sharp enough that he could still see the girl.

To his astonishment, a sword appeared in her hand—a red sword that looked as though it had been painted with blood.

Her arrival startled the slum’s drunkards.

In their eyes, all they saw was a figure in a black robe. Though the girl was fairly tall for her age, she was still too short compared to an adult, so anyone could tell she was still young.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, she lunged at the drunken men.

Her speed was still astonishing even though she had yet to reach the Aether Will Realm.

It was something no ordinary human could possibly resist.

Richard’s eyes widened as the girl, without hesitation, slashed her sword at the neck of a heavily drunken man, severing it completely.

What followed was a horrifying massacre.

The girl did not stop for even a moment, continuing to swing her blade, each strike cutting the throats of the slum dwellers regardless of whether they were young or old.

Blood splattered everywhere, but strangely, though they screamed, not a single sound spread beyond the alley.

Passersby hardly glanced inside, so how could they know?

Even if they did look into the alley, they would likely see nothing, given that their vision was nowhere near as sharp as that of a Magus.

Richard observed more carefully and finally noticed a faint light cube radiating from the girl, covering the entire slum area. It seemed to function as a sound barrier.

’Is she planning to slaughter everyone? What a mad girl, she’s truly abnormal.’

Richard was stunned as the girl began targeting even the women and children who had just stepped out of their homes.

A chill ran down his spine—this felt far too excessive.

Yet he simply continued to watch.

The girl then entered people’s houses, apparently intent on leaving no human alive.

When it was finally over, she calmly returned.

Richard noticed her red eyes glowing brighter before narrowing.

’So she sees me...’ Richard smiled, though he hadn’t planned on hiding anyway.

Whoosh!

The girl suddenly rushed toward him, arriving in front of him in an instant. She moved quickly, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him into the alley.

Richard could have easily resisted, but he allowed her to drag him.

After pulling him into the alley, she shoved him against a door, which turned out to be unlocked.

The door opened and Richard was pushed inside, into nothing more than a storeroom filled with various worthless scraps.

It wasn’t dark, as several torches hung on the walls.

The girl entered and closed the door, pulling back her hood.

"Why are you following me?" she asked, her tone cold, though her voice was still that of someone too young.

Richard hadn’t expected such a cold voice from a girl this young, but considering she had just carried out a massacre, it wasn’t too surprising.

"Young lady, couldn’t I have simply been walking this way and happened to glance into the alley?" Richard replied casually.

But the girl immediately pointed her red sword at him.

Its tip even touched his neck—one push, and it could pierce through.

Of course, Richard didn’t panic in the slightest. He continued smiling, causing the girl to furrow her brows.

"I only wish to get to know you," he said again.

"Young lady, why did you slaughter those people?" he asked afterward.

"So you saw it? But that’s none of your business," the girl replied. "If not for the fact that you are Princess Lilith’s guest, I would have killed you already."

When she said that, Richard took a step back.

However, the girl immediately stepped forward, as if she wouldn’t feel at ease unless her sword tip was once again touching his neck.

"Young lady, I think I understand you. You live under heavy pressure, burdened with countless worries, and have no one who cares for you. Nor do you have anyone you care for," Richard said.

As those words left his mouth, the girl’s expression suddenly shifted—dark, angry, sorrowful, frustrated, disappointed—countless emotions mixed together as if she had just been struck by the heaviest blow. Her red eyes widened, and her hand trembled.

Yet she regained her composure quickly.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Unless... you don’t know who I am?" she said.

"Having a grand background doesn’t always mean living the life one dreams of," Richard answered nonchalantly, unconcerned with her identity.

From any perspective, she was clearly a top noble daughter in this city.

"You..." The girl was clearly struck at the most sensitive part of her soul.

She trembled so violently that even her sword nearly slipped from her hand.

"It seems we can’t get properly acquainted just yet. Let’s wait until you feel comfortable..." Richard said again, chuckling without hesitation before taking a step toward the door.

He didn’t need to do anything else—the girl merely glared at him coldly, making no move to strike him again.

Richard left easily, somewhat surprised at how he felt a strange sense of concern for the girl.

What he felt was as if there was a faint link between them.

Richard continued walking, following the flow of the crowd. He headed toward the livelier districts.

He even had to choose between several areas, each equally bustling.

Perhaps it was because the city bore the word Night in its name, but the night here was truly alive.

One thing that caught his attention was an academy of immense size.

Even at night, it was full of life.

Many of its students were out dating.

Richard had heard that Wren, one of tomorrow’s finalists, not only studied at this academy but also lived there. He was now in his final year.

This was the royal academy. Even those with strong backgrounds chose to study there, as the kingdom recruited the best Magus instructors to teach.

Though he had no interest in studying at an academy, Richard still admired its grandeur.

He circled around, observing the buildings and watching the students—some of them dressed in academy uniforms, which surprisingly looked quite modern. They consisted of trousers, skirts, and purple shirts with red stripes, adorned with the royal emblem on the chest.

Perhaps the academy accepted students from as young as five years old, but children below ten were rarely seen—likely already asleep—leaving only the older students still awake.

Richard’s wandering drew no disturbance, only curious glances from the students.

Conflicts often occurred among the academy’s students, with many of the strong bullying the weak. But clearly, none would bother a mere seven-year-old boy.

However, as Richard continued to stroll and happened to pass through a quiet area, something startling occurred.

A soft hand suddenly covered his mouth and wrapped around his waist.