“That stupid brat, do you not even have a brain to think with?!”

I almost slapped her but stopped myself.

‘If she goes back to the capital, she’ll be biting her tongue anyway.’

They’re already in panic; telling them this now might drive them crazy.

‘And then it’ll be a hassle to take her along, so better to just leave her...’

But then the Southern Wonhwa shouted angrily.

“Shut your mouth, please!”

“What did you say?”

“If the ghouls put restraining collars on us too, what will you do?”

“How dare you... do you realize who owes your family this much luxury?”

“Stop holding my family hostage.”

The Southern Wonhwa glared ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) fiercely at Silin.

“You caused a scene at Miss Paangte’s party just to isolate Erilot Astra from the capital’s social circle.”

“You—”

“When you were told to fetch a dragon, you even said those things.”

“Can’t you just shut up?”

“But when things went wrong, you pinned everything on me who was loyal to you—”

“Who’s acting foolish? If you had handled that properly, there wouldn’t have been a ghoul extermination mission!”

“Unbelievable. Why do you blame me?”

“It’s your fault! The emperor would have given me a better mission if things had gone well—!”

The two sharply confronted each other, while the Northern Wonhwa just watched nervously.

‘Good grief.’

In the middle of enemy territory, doing great.

I separated the two who looked ready to exchange blows even while tied up.

“Calm down first.”

“This is all because of who—!”

Silin yelled furiously.

“If you don’t blame others, we can’t talk? Maybe I shouldn’t bother freeing you.”

At the word “freeing,” Silin fell silent, though she glared at me as if wanting to tear me apart.

I untied the Southern Wonhwa first.

“Untie the Northern Wonhwa.”

“...Yes.”

The Southern Wonhwa obediently untied the Northern Wonhwa.

I approached Silin.

‘Even something like this is better than nothing for escape.’

I checked Silin’s restraining collar.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the incredibly complex kind used by the palace or high nobles.

‘Well, of course—it’s light enough for ghouls to pick up.’

After loosening Silin’s arm, I began to dispel the collar’s enchantment.

“Central Wonhwa, a warning: don’t move recklessly. If you hinder the escape, I’ll leave you behind.”

“Why do you keep talking down to me?! And escape? We should wait for reinforcements.”

“Quiet.”

“It’s dangerous!”

“Staying here to be eaten is more dangerous.”

Clack.

The restraining collar fell off.

Only then did Silin’s complexion return.

She immediately got up once freed.

“Can’t be helped.”

Then she looked over me and the two Wonhwas.

“I’ll take charge of the escape. Erilot Astra, go tame the ghouls.”

“...”

“Don’t you hear me? Use your amazing ability to tame the ghouls.”

“How can I tame ghouls when they’re deployed here? I’d get killed while training them.”

“The Southern Wonhwa will support you. The Northern Wonhwa will guard me.”

The Southern Wonhwa frowned deeply.

“You mean to use me and Erilot Astra as bait to escape?!”

“Mutiny will be dealt with by military law.”

Really.

Her spirit was alive the moment she was freed.

‘Maybe I should’ve just left her tied.’

Hold it.

The transmission magic tools are operational. If I leave Silin behind, I’ll be a traitor who abandoned comrades.

But unlike other knights, I’m not strong enough to carry her and escape.

Then.

A strange presence was felt outside the cave.

‘Such an intense aura.’

I quickly covered the two mouths.

“Be quiet. Something is approaching.”

“...!”

“...!”

Not only the two but the Northern Wonhwa turned pale.

The Northern Wonhwa whispered, trembling.

“Could it be coming to kill us?”

“Who knows.”

I tore a sharp shard from a broken transmission magic tool.

Then I hid near the entrance and said,

“Don’t move rashly. Attack when I signal.”

We held our breath.

‘Is it the Crimson Ghoul? No, from the presence, it’s about human size.’

It was powerful but with less earth-shaking than the Crimson Ghoul.

I estimated about an adult man’s size.

‘An ally? Or another powerful ghoul?’

20 meters ahead.

10 meters.

5 meters.

...Right in front.

An adult man, just under 180 cm tall, entered.

I suppressed my presence and watched his back from the entrance.

‘Ally... please be an ally.’

He glanced over the Wonhwas except me.

“No women here.”

‘Enemy!’

If he was a royal soldier, he wouldn’t call us women like that.

‘Wait, if we can talk, maybe we can settle this without a fight. Then...’

Then.

“Attack!”

Silin shouted loudly.

‘What?!’

She charged first, and the Northern Wonhwa flinched.

“I-I don’t know...! Take this!”

The Northern Wonhwa joined the attack, and the Southern Wonhwa clicked his tongue and leapt in.

‘Those idiots!’

There was no choice now.

If they all die, we can’t escape on our own.

‘We must injure him somehow.’

I pushed off the ground and leapt.

Clinging to his back, I pressed my sword near his neck.

Being short, I couldn’t hold a perfect stance like soldiers, but I aimed at his neck.

But.

“Such metal means no threat to me.”

He lightly turned his head and looked at me.

Long, black hair down to his waist.

Red eyes like fresh blood.

Pale skin and lazy eyes.

He looked like a perfect handsome young man.

The moment our eyes met—

Bang—!

The metal I held crashed into the wall.

I quickly stepped back from him.

Silin and the Southern Wonhwa turned pale.

No wonder...

‘He wasn’t even preparing to cast anything.’

He had power comparable to the blessing , yet needed no time to cast.

He was an opponent we could never handle.

Silin stepped back, trembling.

“If you spare me, my family will reward you.”

“A reward? What kind, little brat?”

Silin brightened, thinking he understood.

“Anything! I’m the youngest daughter of Duke Chateaubriand and the Central Wonhwa of the Wonhwa Army. There’s nothing I can’t do!”

She looked arrogantly at the other Wonhwas.

See? She’s cooperating now.

—Exactly that kind of expression.

Silin put her fingertips on her chest and said,

“Tell me. What do you want?”

“Your leader’s head.”

“...!”

The empire’s leader meant the emperor.

We all froze.

Silin twitched her lips.

“Th-that’s... that’s...”

“Will you hand it over?”

The man laughed lightly.

A rough aura rippled around his figure.

Beautiful enough to take your breath away but all the more dangerous.

He slowly walked toward Silin.

“Don’t ask questions.”

“That is... well... except for that...”

In an instant, Silin floated into the air.

“Kyah!”

She turned pale and tears streamed down.

“You came into the cradle with dirty feet and hurt my children; if not for that, there’s no deal.”

“P-please spare me... please...! Father! Father─!!”

The Southern and Northern Wonhwas stiffened, unable to move.

At some point, their breathing became blocked.

The man’s magical aura tightened their lungs like shackles.

Silin and the others groaned and writhed.

I looked at the transmission magic tools.

‘This scene is probably being transmitted in full.’

Since the Wonhwas are all in mortal danger, reinforcements will be sent.

Then we’d be emergency rations to eliminate the reinforcements...

‘No.’

“Stop, Crimson Ghoul!”

When I shouted, the choking power vanished.

The Wonhwas, gasping for air and sitting down, looked at me.

“Cr-Crimson Ghoul?”

The Northern Wonhwa murmured.

The man—or rather, the Crimson Ghoul—turned toward me.

“You are one who can see essence.”

“The power you showed fighting our army, calling the emperor the leader, not the emperor.”

“...”

“All signs point to you being the Crimson Ghoul.”

You see? It’s being transmitted, right?

A Crimson Ghoul that can take human form.

With strength incomparable to other Crimson Ghouls.

Truly on par with ancient monsters.

‘No small reinforcement will do. Even the emperor’s knights must be brought.’

The Crimson Ghoul smiled faintly at me.

“I don’t dislike smart children.”

“...”

“You will be easier to talk to than that one. ...The ‘remnants of that thing’ inside you are interesting too.”

Remnants of that thing?

‘Could it be Seiron?’

Seiron, the ancient priest.

The source of my real blessing .

“Will you hand it over? Your leader’s head.”

“The Astra bloodline never puts the emperor on the negotiating table.”

“Then.”

“I can offer something else.”

“Besides that, no other reward shall be accepted.”

“Stop trying to look brave. Every time you open your mouth, I smell rotting corpses.”

The Wonhwas flinched.

“W-what...!”

“W-Western Wonhwa, that kind of talk...”

“Are you trying to worsen the situation?!”

The Southern Wonhwa, Northern Wonhwa, and Silin spoke in turn.

I did not avert my gaze from the Crimson Ghoul.

It looked intently at me.

Its red eyes reflected my determined expression.

Then.

Ha ha ha!

A childish laugh echoed in the cave.

“Interesting, truly an interesting child.”

“...”

“How dare you be so arrogant before the King of Eternal Rest. How many lives do you have?”

“You’re a clever monster. You’re not just trying to use us as emergency rations.”

The transmission magic tools were still operating, not completely broken.

Could such an immensely powerful Crimson Ghoul fail to recognize the magical signal?

It’s letting humans know it has captured the Wonhwas.

“Not the strongest sacred ones, but the Wonhwas, you caught.”

“Therefore.”

“You recognized us as the Wonhwa Army leaders.”

The Crimson Ghoul smiled faintly.

“Therefore.”

“You want to talk with the leader.”

‘Grandfather, Father... you’re watching, right?’

The reason I say this.

They must be sensing it.

“Do not advance now. The Crimson Ghoul is after something.”

I clenched my fists tightly to hide my trembling.

The Crimson Ghoul lightly bowed its head and chuckled softly.

“You pass, child of humans.”

Then─!

“Follow me to the negotiation.”

My face brightened.

The Crimson Ghoul smiled faintly and walked past us.

The Wonhwas followed.

Of course, I limped after them.

‘My ankle hurts now that I’m relaxed.’

I probably sprained it fighting the Crimson Ghoul’s main body earlier.

The Crimson Ghoul stopped when it saw me.

Then approached me and...

“Huh, huh?”

It lifted me up.

Silin and the Wonhwas stared, shocked, at me and the Crimson Ghoul.

I flinched and looked up at it.

“I’m gentle to ladies.”

“...Liar.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You hate all humans, male or female.”

“A kid who can’t lie is a picky one.”

The Crimson Ghoul smiled faintly and bowed its head to me.

“How is it? Does my corpse rot make your nose hurt?”

“...I lied earlier so I wouldn’t lose. You’re a ghoul, but why do you smell good?”

Ha ha.

The laughing Crimson Ghoul said.

“Humans think Crimson Ghouls are like other undead ghouls, but we’re different.”

“Oh?”

“Born different. In your language, maybe demons.”

“I see...”

“But you smell very nice.”

Nice smell?

‘Ah, no way.’

I use White Cypress wood to tame monsters.

Though best used as a flute, its scent also helps.

So I’ve bathed with White Cypress wood powder since age three.

‘Balzac, sensitive to smell, thinks it’s his own scent.’

The Crimson Ghoul is also a monster.

The White Cypress effect seems to work on it.

‘Then maybe...’

“Very... nice smell.”

—Could I tame this one too?

I grinned slyly.

And clung to its neck with a slap.

“What’s this change?”

“I’m getting help!”

“Alright. Better than causing a fuss.”

I’m merciless to enemies, but a gentle kid to my monsters (soon to be).

I asked the Crimson Ghoul many things as I rode it.

“Can you seep into shadows? What do you eat? You seem to have special abilities, can you heal other monsters? Do you get along with other species? Do you like shadow beasts?”

“...You ask strange things.”

The Crimson Ghoul chuckled incredulously.

Silin bit her lip hard.

‘What the hell.’

Why does an incredible monster like the Crimson Ghoul treat that girl specially?

The Crimson Ghoul left seats for Erilot alone, while setting aside the Southern and Northern Wonhwas.

‘Why someone like me...’

Erilot was asking the ghoul various questions.

“You, the ghoul you mentioned earlier, what do you eat? Do you get along with shadow beasts? Giant tarantulas?”

The Crimson Ghoul chuckled like it found it amusing.

Silin approached while Erilot babbled.

“Hey.”

“What is it?”

“Give me that seat. I’m higher ranked than her.”

Silin arrogantly lifted her chin.

“She’s filthy blood. But I’m noble. I’d communicate better.”

“...”

“Talk to me.”