That crazy kid!

I rushed over and grabbed Silin’s arm.

“Eek! What do you think you’re doing—!”

“Get the sacred knights to retreat immediately!”

“If we don’t decisively kill the Crimson Ghoul, the entire Wonhwa Army is in danger. No matter how important the mission is, as Wonhwa, you should prioritize the army!”

Silin said arrogantly.

‘Who exactly cares about the points that much?’

Judging by their timely arrival, they’d been observing the situation from behind.

Cunningly timing their move.

Probably to share the Crimson Ghoul’s points.

‘But right now, points don’t matter.’

“That Crimson Ghoul absorbs sacred power!”

“Oh my. You actually believe the nonsense of those mad scholars?”

People in this world do not believe that monsters can absorb sacred power.

Some scholars claimed it, but they were all dismissed as mad and expelled from academia.

Like those in ancient times who refused to believe the Earth was round, according to Pythagoras.

‘But the Earth really was round, and that Crimson Ghoul really absorbs sacred power!’

In my first life, I went on a ghoul hunt.

I saw then that there are special ghouls that absorb sacred power.

‘That special ghoul merges with other ghouls to become the Crimson Ghoul.’

During that first life hunt, Richmond (then Blizen) killed it before the merge.

“That Crimson Ghoul immediately found the Wonhwa Army’s only sacred knight.”

“So?”

“It sought the strongest sacred knight, not the closest soldier. Don’t you get why?”

“That’s...”

“It sensed sacred power and intended to use him as prey─”

At that moment.

“Ahhhhh!!”

A scream erupted from the Central Army.

Three sacred knights who had approached the Crimson Ghoul shriveled up like mummies.

‘Their sacred power was stolen. So then...’

I quickly glanced back at the Crimson Ghoul.

The eye that Deputy General Sang had stabbed was slowly recovering.

Silin flinched.

She also sensed it, since she possessed sacred blessings.

The Crimson Ghoul, having absorbed sacred power, was stronger than before.

“W-what... how did this happen...?”

“How else?”

I stumbled backward, shouting.

“We’re screwed─!! Run!”

In training, I drilled into the Western Army that “my orders are absolute.”

Thanks to that, as soon as I shouted, everyone started running frantically.

Then the Crimson Ghoul lifted Silin up in a flash.

“Kyah─!!”

“Wonhwa!”

“Wonhwa’s been captured! What do we do?”

Once Silin was caught, the Central Army’s movements visibly faltered.

They feared attacking, unsure if she was their own Wonhwa.

But then.

“Huh?”

My body was suddenly lifted into the air.

The Crimson Ghoul grabbed me too.

“Wonhwa─!!”

This time, the Western Army soldiers shouted toward me.

‘W-why me?’

I understood Silin.

Despite her unpleasant personality, she had a unique sacred blessing: .

To the Crimson Ghoul, she was special prey.

‘But why me?’

There were many sacred knights deployed here.

Especially powerful ones like Iseje.

‘At first, it targeted Iseje.’

“Kyah! Kyah─!! What are you doing?! Hurry, save me! Father! Kyah! Father─!! You, save me right now! Or I’ll tell father everything...!”

Silin screamed wildly, clutching her other hand.

In the midst of this urgency, even mentioning her father threw the Central Army into near panic.

The Crimson Ghoul began to retreat.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Hey?! You’re taking me─!!”

“Wo-Wonhwa...!”

The Central Army rushed at the Crimson Ghoul trying to rescue Silin.

The Western Army stopped fleeing and turned back.

“Western Army, hurry and save Wonhwa─”

“Stop!”

I shouted.

The Western Army froze.

“If it’s retreating, it won’t kill me right away. You all conserve strength and wait for the right moment!”

“B-but...!”

“If you attack now, you’ll just get yourselves killed!”

If soldiers die, no one will come to save us.

‘I’m the protagonist of this story. There’s no way I’ll die easily.’

While I organized the situation, chaos erupted beside me.

“Kyah─!! Kyah! You idiots!! What are you doing?! You’re taking me away! Father!! Father─!!”

Ugh.

Seriously, that crazy kid.

‘Now that it’s urgent, she’s completely given up on image management.’

That’s probably all being recorded on the magical equipment and transmitted to the palace.

Well, that’s her problem.

Unlike Silin who was shouting and struggling, I calmly issued commands.

“Join the Eastern Army.”

Without me, no one can command the Western Army.

Better to join another army.

“Don’t judge for yourselves. Don’t put words like effort, passion, loyalty into your judgment—leave it to Sebastia Unni─ ugh...”

“Kyah! Kyah──!! Father! Fath... ugh...”

My breath caught.

As the Crimson Ghoul melted into the darkness, it felt like sinking deep into the ocean.

‘If it’s Sebastia Unni, she’ll command the Western Army well.’

Then my consciousness faded.

The palace.

[What do you think you’re doing?! Hey?! You’re taking me away─!!]

Silin’s scream burst out from Tantila.

“Silin!”

Duke Chateaubriand turned pale and jumped up.

Other nobles wore grim expressions.

“Oh my. Crimson Ghoul, huh.”

“A monster really did absorb sacred power...”

Duke Biferi hurriedly spoke to the emperor.

“The Crimson Ghoul cannot be handled by the Wonhwa Army. You must dispatch reinforcements immediately!”

They had heard the current Wonhwa Army was the weakest ever.

There was no way such an army could slay a powerful monster like the Crimson Ghoul.

Duke Jermo glanced at the foreign guests invited from other nations.

“But we cannot act rashly.”

Duke Isiron also nodded and whispered to the emperor.

“From Laontra to Alryosa, even countries not allied are watching closely.”

“Yes.”

“Sending reinforcements against the Crimson Ghoul acknowledges that the empire’s strength has weakened.”

“I am aware of that...”

The Wonhwa were all descendants of great powers.

Wonhwa Army knights also included many central nobles’ sons.

‘If we fail to rescue them due to foreign concerns, how will we answer the outcry?’

The emperor groaned, clutching his forehead.

Meanwhile, Silin’s screams continued from Tantila.

[Kyah! Kyah─!! What are you doing?! Hurry, save me! Father! Kyah! Father─!!]

The emperor gritted his teeth.

Her screaming as soon as she was captured threw the entire palace into chaos.

“Shut her up...!”

To make things worse, another shout rang from Tantila.

[Wo-Wonhwa─!]

Erilot was captured too.

Daymond jumped up.

His expression, usually unchanging before the emperor, hardened.

Duke Astra’s gaze sharpened.

Duchess Chateaubriand clutched her husband and burst into tears.

“What will you do, Your Grace! Silin... Silin...!”

“Your Majesty, how can you stay silent?!”

On the left, the deadly glare of Duke Astra and his son.

On the right, the tears of Duchess Chateaubriand.

In front, Dukes Isiron and Jermo tried to restrain the tension.

Behind, the foreign guests watched with interest.

‘Damn it!’

The emperor ground his teeth.

“Reinforcements...”

Then.

[Stop!]

Erilot’s voice echoed from the screen.

The emperor snapped his head up toward Tantila.

All the nobles’ gazes focused immediately.

[If it’s retreating, it won’t kill me right away. Conserve your strength and wait for the right moment!]

“...!”

Erilot Astra was astonishingly calm.

In stark contrast to the screaming Silin.

[Kyah─!! Kyah! You idiots!! What are you doing?! You’re taking me away! Father!! Father─!!]

[Join the Eastern Army. Don’t judge for yourselves. Don’t put effort, passion, loyalty into your judgment—leave it to Sebastia Unni─ ugh...]

Even as she was swallowed by darkness, she did not forget to command the army.

“What kind of child can be like that...”

Former General Marquis Noklang muttered absentmindedly.

“To be captured by a monstrous Crimson Ghoul and still judge coldly. Truly ten years old...”

“Yes. She really is ten!”

“Also, it was that kid who realized the Crimson Ghoul absorbs sacred power, wasn’t it?”

“Trusted the mad scholars’ words?”

“No. She was sure because it first targeted the Western Army’s sacred knights.”

“My goodness...”

The chaotic atmosphere of the party changed.

‘It’s settled.’

The emperor took a deep breath.

Dukes Isiron and Jermo quickly added.

“Erilot Astra seems to have a plan. Let us watch.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Especially now that two Wonhwas have been captured, if reinforcements attack, the Crimson Ghoul might use the Wonhwas as bait to gain momentum.”

Other nobles seemed to agree.

Dukes Biferi and Daymond Astra clenched their teeth, staring at Tantila.

The emperor nodded.

“Yes.”

He clenched his sweating fists tightly.

‘Please.’

From now on, whether Chateaubriand wins this festival or not is irrelevant.

Someone kill the Crimson Ghoul.

Queen Oselia’s eyes gleamed secretly.

“Salvatore.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“If Erilot Astra slays the Crimson Ghoul...”

“Do you think that’s possible in this situation?”

“If... if that’s the case...”

Oselia glanced at the sweating emperor.

Her lips curled softly.

“There is no one more fitting to be her partner.”

The emergence of the new ‘Darkness Grandmaster.’

Parents with sons’ eyes glittered.

How much time had passed?

I slowly regained consciousness.

‘I’m tied up.’

Somebody—no idea who—had bound my entire body tightly with ropes.

I hurriedly looked around.

“A cave...?”

“Well, obviously a cave, what else could it be?!”

A sharp voice came from beside me.

It was Silin.

She was tied up like me.

“It’s your fault! Because of you, we’ve been dragged all the way here!”

“If you hadn’t been greedy to share the Crimson Ghoul’s points, none of this would have happened.”

“Hey!!”

“Shh.”

I sensed footsteps from afar.

“...Ahh! Let me go! Please...!”

“I’m the Southern Wonhwa. If you provoke me like that...”

A familiar voice.

‘Southern and Northern Wonhwas.’

They caught the Wonhwas?

I quickly closed my eyes again.

Still pretending to be unconscious.

Soon a chilling ‘grrk’ sound and a thud of something being thrown echoed.

‘Not the presence of the Crimson Ghoul.’

Looks like ghouls caught the Southern and Northern Wonhwas.

“Grrr... grrk...”

The ghouls came close.

Apparently checking if I was still unconscious.

Silin screamed.

“Why did you catch us?! Are you listening?! Hey!”

[Human, keep making noise and I will take your soul.]

‘It’s speaking?!’

“Th-the ghoul speaks human language...!”

“W-we can talk...”

The Southern and Northern Wonhwas gasped.

Silin yelled defiantly.

“How dare a ghoul order anyone! Kyah! What do you think you’re doing!”

Clank.

The cold sound of metal.

I sneaked a peek without letting the ghouls see.

Rusty shackles were locked around Silin’s neck.

As soon as it was fastened, Silin turned pale.

‘Golden Restraining Collar...!’

The ghoul who shackled her quickly disappeared.

Only after the ghouls’ presence vanished did I open my eyes and sit up.

“What do you think you’re doing! I’m suffering like this...!”

Silin shouted at me.

“Then should I shout too and get a Golden Restraining Collar?”

“Why do you keep talking down to me...!”

“Please shut up. If you keep this up, more ghouls will come and put another collar on you.”

I answered vaguely and looked around.

‘No sentries here.’

They must [N O V E L I G H T] be stationed outside.

In a corner were many magical devices.

“...Transmission magic tools?”

I muttered, and the Northern Wonhwa quickly asked.

“Why are all these transmission tools gathered here even though they look broken? Is this to show there’s nowhere to call for help?”

“...Emergency supplies, basically.”

“Huh?”

“The transmission tools contain quartz crystals. They’re stored like emergency rations for contingencies.”

“T-that means...”

“There will be a large-scale battle. After reinforcements arrive.”

‘This Crimson Ghoul is more formidable than expected.’

It’s smarter than most people.

‘Not only does it have a will, it shares that will with the ghouls and perfectly controls them.’

While I was thinking, Silin glared at me through clenched teeth.

“I am the Central Wonhwa commander. If you keep being rude...!”

Clack.

I untied myself, and the three Wonhwas gasped.

“H-how...?!”

The Northern Wonhwa looked pale.

“It’s because Astra teaches from the beginner training room.”

I rummaged through the pile of transmission magic tools.

‘Anything usable as a weapon... huh? This transmission device is...’

I turned toward the Wonhwas.

“This magic tool─”

“Why haven’t you untied me yet─?!”

Silin glared fiercely at me.

“You should call a dragon or something!!”

“...”

“If I call Lagon, the other soldiers will be in danger. If I’m in danger, that kid doesn’t think twice.”

“What do I care about those soldiers!! If I can die for a noble like me, it’s an honor─!!”

To be clear, I was about to say—

...this transmission magic tool is already operational.