A wide underground space.

The first thing that caught his eye was a pile of what looked like rabbit feet, decorating the ceiling.

Rabbit feet hanging in clusters, as if decorating a chandelier. And even the glowing stones embedded between them. It was the very picture of a chandelier.

'How creepy.'

Lucas, who saw it, let out a sigh as if he were dazed.

"Hah..."

"You seem surprised. Well... a collection like this is rare."

The baroness smiled brightly, as if she were proud.

'That's... again...'

The next thing that caught his eye was the tapestry decorating the wall.

No, it was something that looked like a tapestry.

'A pixie... I see...'

On the large carpet hanging on the wall, pixies were hanging in clusters, with their wings pinned, as if they were stuffed butterflies or insects.

"..."

And the splendid ornament in the middle.

What was decorating it was...

'The eyes of the winter fox tribe...'

And it was decorated with not just one, but dozens of eyes, and it was creepy just to look at it.

"Hoho. You can take your time and look around."

The baroness, who saw Lucas looking around with dazed eyes, just chuckled as if she were pleased.

It was truly not enough to describe this whole situation as miserable.

"I wonder if you'll be so surprised you'll fall over when you see this?"

As she saw Lucas, who was still standing at the entrance and just rolling his eyes, she slowly moved her feet.

-Screech!

As the lady pulled the long handle that came down from the ceiling once, the curtains that were drawn around the wall were drawn at once.

"Aah..."

As the curtains were drawn, Lucas almost lost the strength in his legs.

He couldn't believe that the sight in front of him was real.

No, he didn't want to believe it.

Numerous living creatures trapped in large and small iron cages.

The trembling of Alin was transmitted from the cage in Lucas's hand.

Lucas, who had looked down at the cage, met Alin's eyes and then slowly nodded his head.

As if to say it would be okay.

"Oh, that's right. I had a hard time getting this one. It's still not fully tamed, so it's a little wild, but well. It'll be obedient soon."

When he looked at the place the lady was pointing at, he saw a winter fox tribe with scratches and scabs all over its body.

"Grrrrr..."

The winter fox tribe lowered its body in a corner of the cage and growled low.

"Tsk, tsk... it must be weak since it hasn't eaten."

The lady clicked her tongue low and shook her head at the sight.

"Ah, you don't need to look there. They're going to die soon anyway. They're not as cute as they look. You must have a Toto tribe too, right?"

In another place she pointed at, there was a group of Toto tribes who were skinny and had patches of fur missing.

"The elf over there is expected to finish its mental training soon. The last blue elf died at the last minute... tsk."

In another place, there was an elf who was staring blankly into the air with lost eyes.

"At least I've been feeling a little better lately because of that?"

In another place, there was a pixie sitting quietly like a bird in a cage, staring at the lady.

"Now, so what kind of children do you have?"

"..."

Lucas just stared blankly ahead without answering the lady's question.

"Ah, I almost forgot about you! Yes, cutie. You don't have to be scared at all. Now, let's go over there. Your friends are waiting."

-Clatter!

"G-get away...! You devil!!!"

As the lady reached out her hand, Alin struggled with all her might to escape from the small cage.

"Hoho! Right, that's why I don't bring animals that can't talk. It must be a similar reason for you."

She laughed hysterically at the sight of the terrified pixie, as if she found it so funny.

"Now, shall we eat something delicious?"

"Get away from me, you devil-like crazy b-tch!!!"

As Alin shouted and cursed, the smile disappeared from the lady's face.

"You lowly animal...! I'll have to fix that mouth of yours right away!"

She, who had shouted as if she were angry, picked up an iron skewer that was standing on the wall.

"You should also watch carefully! How to fix the manners of this lowly animal!"

And then she tried to snatch the cage that was in Lucas's hand.

-Clank!

She couldn't take the cage from Lucas's hand.

"Stop."

"What are you doing? I told you to give it to me right away?"

"I believe I told you to stop."

Her body froze for a moment at Lucas's cold voice.

"W-what is this...! Ha! Don't tell me you came to steal my collection...! I-if that's the case, you'd better not even dream of it! You may not know, but my servants are constantly watching this place!"

As she shouted, the sound of people moving outside was faintly heard.

"Came to steal... huh."

"Did you see? Ah, if not, are you from the kingdom? Hmph! If that's the case, you've made a bigger mistake. Do you know who I am?"

Lucas's brow furrowed at her absurd words.

"Ha! Right. I knew it."

The lady, who saw Lucas's expression, let out a hollow laugh as if her words were right and continued.

"Right. I don't know who you are, but you must have come from something like the immigrant management bureau like a hero of justice! I am a person who receives the favor of His Majesty the King of Raskan!"

"Oho..."

"Right. Do you finally realize what you were trying to do? If you put down what you're holding in your hand and get lost right now, I'll take it into consideration!"

She, who had even crossed her arms, gestured with her chin as if to tell him to get lost quickly.

"Right. I was wrong."

"The one who knows that is standing in front of me with such a straight posture?! Get lost right away, or if not, get on your knees and beg for forgiveness."

Lucas, who was listening to her words, finally sneered.

"Y-you're laughing!? H-how dare you!"

"I was very wrong."

Lucas's cold gaze turned to her.

"To think of treating even a thing like you as a person."

"...T-this! Is there anyone there!!!"

Finally, she, who couldn't stand it anymore, shouted outside, and people began to rush in in an instant.

"You'd better know that you've made the wrong choice. I was going to let you run away and then catch you and treat you nicely... but that time has been brought forward a little."

It was the moment she raised the iron skewer in her hand and held it under Lucas's chin.

-Crack!

"Ugh... ugh, my hand!!! Gaaah!"

The hand that had been shattered along with the iron skewer.

"How arrogant. How dare a thing that is not even a human pretend to be a human."

"M-my hand... my hand!!! Kyaaah!"

She was terrified as she looked at the place where her hand, which had disappeared in an instant, had been.

-Clatter! Thump!

Then the people who had rushed in kicked open the door and came in.

"W-what is this!!! My lady! My lady!"

"You son of a b-tch! What are you doing! Attack!"

"Quickly, take the lady to a safe place!"

The people who had rushed in blocked Lucas with their whole bodies, blocking the fountain of blood gushing from their master's arm, and confronted him.

"Don't let him live!"

"Gaaah! My hand!!!"

"My lady! This way, quickly."

-Swoosh

Just as a flash of light passed by.

-Thud... thump. Thump!

The heads of those who were rushing in fell to the floor.

"A-a mage..."

The hope in the eyes of the man who was supporting the lady disappeared.

"Gak!"

The woman, who heard the sound, quickly put her remaining arm into her pocket, took out a thin piece of paper, and put it in her mouth.

-Rip! Flash!

And then she ripped the paper without hesitation, and the woman's figure disappeared.

"A mage..."

-Swoosh. Thump!

With those last words, the head of the man who had lost his master also rolled on the floor.

"Are you okay?"

Lucas asked, looking at the cage in his hand.

"Ugh... I-I'm scared..."

Alin, at the scene that had instantly turned into a sea of blood, was holding her head and burying her face in her knees.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Benefactor. I'm scared..."

"Then can you wait here for a moment?"

"J-just me here? That's even scarier..."

Alin pointed to herself at Lucas's words, looked around, and then shook her head violently.

"Then let's go together. It would be better to keep your eyes closed."

Then Alin nodded her head, closed her eyes tightly, and even covered her ears with both hands.

Lucas stood in his spot and calmly tracked where she had disappeared to.

'It's close.'

-Flash!

He, who had read the flow of mana and had found the coordinates, teleported.

"Ugh... gaaah..."

'Hmm... it seems to be a garden of some sort.'

There was no need to look at the place he had arrived at, and there was no need to follow the bloodstains.

She was walking like a madwoman, making strange noises, as if she hadn't thought that he would be able to track her.

"Right. You have to run away like that."

"Ugh... gaaah! Kyaaah!!!"

The woman, who had turned around at the sound from behind her, confirmed Lucas's appearance and began to run like crazy.

"Who goes there!"

Then a person who had heard her scream rushed out.

"S-save me!!! I am a person who has received His Majesty's favor! Please tell His Majesty that an assassin has come!!! Quickly!!!"

'Aha. It must have been the royal palace.'

"What's this... oh my goodness!"

The person who seemed to be a courtier, who had finally noticed the woman's condition, turned pale and shouted.

"Guards! Guards!!!"

Lucas's expression became serious as he chased after the woman.

'This will make things too big.'

The village where the woman was was the Raskan Kingdom's border area.

So this was the Raskan Kingdom's royal palace, but he couldn't just overturn the royal palace to catch that woman.

'What should I do.'

As the guards appeared in droves behind the courtier, the baroness quickly hid among them.

"Please save me! Please tell His Majesty. That I, Chloe, have come... sob..."

The lady, who finally felt a little relieved, burst into tears.

"T-that's him! Please arrest him quickly!"

As the courtier, who was holding the woman who was covered in blood and crying, shouted, the Raskan guards all rushed towards Lucas at once.

"What... should I do..."

A black-haired man holding a cage with a pixie in one hand.

A woman with a severed hand who had run away from him.

"Anyone would think I'm the bad guy."

Lucas, who shrugged his shoulders once as he looked at the rushing guards, glanced at Alin.

Alin was in the same state as before, with her eyes tightly closed and her ears covered.

"Hmm..."

"Stay still!"

As the guard who had come right in front of him shouted, holding out a spear, Lucas tilted his head.

"I've been still from the beginning."

"Arrest him!"

At the command of the guard who was holding out the spear, other guards came forward with ropes.

"I don't think that's going to work."

The guard, who had noticed something strange at Lucas's words, took a step back and shouted.

"H-hurry up and arrest him!"

"I'm not the bad guy, you know. This kind of treatment is a bit much."

"I-if you move, you can be killed!"

The guard who was taking another step back.

"Do as you please."

-Flash!

It was when the guards, who were dumbfounded at the sight of Lucas who had disappeared in an instant, were looking at each other.

"Kyaaah!"

As they turned around at the sound of the scream, Lucas was standing behind the baroness and smiling.

"Hi. Pretty?"

(End of Chapter)