“If it’s a deal between armies, you should be negotiating with me. I’m the Central Wonhwa, the overall commander of the Wonhwa Army.”

The Crimson Ghoul stared intently at Silin.

But then it chuckled softly and replied,

“You’re not qualified to negotiate.”

“What?”

Silin’s face twisted.

‘Qualified? What qualifications? A monster daring to say that...’

How many people in the empire dream of talking to it?

Even the nobles, no—the great nobles of Capital District 1, all gaze at it with envy.

Her father, Duke Chateaubriand, is the leader of the pro-emperor faction.

The emperor even sends her gifts every birthday.

Silin herself is the Central Wonhwa, head of the Wonhwa Army.

Since the emperor has no daughter, she is unquestionably the highest-ranking girl.

‘Then why is she trying to talk with Erilot Astra instead of me?’

Silin bit her lip tightly.

“Even if you talk to the Western Wonhwa, I make all the decisions for the Wonhwa Army, so it’s just a waste of time. Don’t you get it?”

As the tension rose, the Southern and Northern Wonhwas glanced at Silin—and Erilot did the same.

The Crimson Ghoul raised an eyebrow lightly.

“How arrogant, child of humans.”

“Is she really qualified to talk? Maybe they have some language only among similar beings?!”

As the atmosphere stiffened, Erilot quickly stepped forward.

“Stop it. They’ve given us a chance to talk. It’s like they’re showing us mercy—”

“Mercy?”

Silin burst out laughing.

Then she looked at Erilot as if incredulous.

“Don’t lose your pride, Western Wonhwa!”

“You—”

“What makes humans special is that some things are more precious than life. Honor, pride, that sort of thing.”

Erilot flinched and glanced at the Crimson Ghoul.

It was smiling.

A strange smile resting on its beautiful, dangerous face.

‘So now I look different, huh?’

That usually earned applause.

“Our nobles differ from commoners by their high pride... Truly a wise statement.”

“A noble’s mindset indeed.”

“Haha, that’s my daughter for you!”

Seeing that smile, Silin grew even more confident.

‘I’ve done quite a few deals as the Central Wonhwa.’

When negotiating, you must not appear weak.

The more fastidious and forceful you are, the more intimidated and passive the other side becomes.

‘I need to make my mark here.’

The image of her successfully negotiating with the Crimson Ghoul and leading the soldiers to safety.

Such an image would preserve her reputation.

Silin scolded Erilot.

“Don’t forget your human pride, Western Wonhwa.”

The Crimson Ghoul stood and slowly approached Silin.

Leaning close to her ear, it spoke in a low voice.

“I don’t dislike arrogant children.”

Silin’s mouth twitched.

‘Knew it.’

It only smiled when Erilot acted arrogantly.

‘So it probably prefers someone with strong pride.’

Silin glanced sideways at Erilot, who stood stiffly.

She seemed embarrassed that the Crimson Ghoul was interested in her instead, and that was amusing.

‘I’m more experienced at winning hearts.’

It was settled.

If she finished negotiating well with the Crimson Ghoul, tales of “Silin Chateaubriand’s heroism” would spread throughout the empire.

The Crimson Ghoul said,

“What I hate is stupid humans.”

What?

I blinked, unable to understand.

“Ahhhhh─!!”

A violent headache felt like my brain was shattering.

My eye pressure surged wildly, and my vision flooded with red.

Blood dripped from beneath my nose.

It hurt.

It hurt, hurt... hurthhurthhurthhurt!!

Erilot shouted urgently.

“Crimson Ghoul! Calm down and listen to me!”

But the Crimson Ghoul just silently watched Silin writhing in pain.

“Child of humans, we have pride too.”

“Ugh, ugh... ughhh! Father... ughhh!”

“Our territory, held for over three hundred years, is like this.”

“P-please spare me... please...!!”

“You trampled on our territory, hurt my children, and stole our kin.”

Crows perched on the branches flapped their wings loudly at the Crimson Ghoul’s wrath.

The forest roared loudly.

‘This is bad.’

We barely got a chance to talk, and instead made it angrier.

Silin was now curled up convulsing.

‘She’s going to die!’

Even if the army returned safely, if the Central Wonhwa died, no one could escape responsibility.

And if Duke Chateaubriand lost his mind...

‘He’d blame me instead of putting Dad in the central tower. If he joins with Grimyé, it’s trouble.’

‘Damn...’

It couldn’t be helped.

“Northern Wonhwa, attack!”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

The Northern Wonhwa quickly activated her blessing.

Her blessing was .

A sound-related blessing with countless uses.

It could produce an overwhelmingly powerful noise to the opponent.

When used on humans, it could burst their eardrums instantly.

See, even the Crimson Ghoul flinched.

‘But it’ll only hold it back for one or two minutes. We must hurry.’

I dragged Silin and summoned Ombre.

“Southern Wonhwa, cast a barrier!”

“I-I have a blessing that immobilizes me when I do.”

“I’ll be moving, so hurry!”

“I’m doomed...!”

The Southern Wonhwa cast the barrier, and a few seconds later, the Crimson Ghoul attacked.

The impact made us inside the barrier stagger.

If we took a couple more hits, the barrier would break.

“Ombre, run─!!”

Ombre swallowed the barrier and fled quickly.

The Southern Wonhwa was pale from the shock.

“If that monster existed, we could have escaped from the start... ugh.”

“It won’t last long. It’s badly injured from fighting the Crimson Ghoul.”

“What did you say? Th-then...?”

“It won’t even escape the cave.”

We were in the deepest part of the cave.

Sure enough, Ombre’s body soon collapsed again with thudding sounds.

I left the barrier and hugged Ombre.

“Sorry. Go back inside and rest.”

The Southern and Northern Wonhwas were at a loss.

“Wh-what do we do now?”

I quickly looked around.

There were multiple paths.

“Northern Wonhwa, can you hear distant sounds?”

“Yes? Ye... yes...”

The Northern Wonhwa hesitated, looking around.

“Ghouls are chasing from behind, umm, there are ghoul sentries on the first path, and the second path too, and the third path is... the sound of water.”

“Sound of water...”

“Yes, just water. No ghoul noises.”

I took a sharp breath.

“Take the path with the sound of water.”

The Southern Wonhwa looked startled.

“That’s not the exit?”

“The enemy will expect us to head for the exit. So going the other way is safer.”

I led the Wonhwas toward the path where the water sound came from.

I dragged the Central Wonhwa along.

After some walking, as the Northern Wonhwa said, a small stream appeared.

Water flowed strongly from the left and went out through a small path on the right.

Fireflies swarmed nearby.

‘No wonder there are no ghouls here...’

Ghouls dislike light.

The fireflies shone like illumination, making this a place they avoid.

The Northern Wonhwa asked,

“Um, Western Wonhwa... what will you do now?”

“Where there’s water coming in, that means we might get out through there.”

“Ah...!”

The Northern Wonhwa brightened but soon frowned and muttered.

“I can’t swim...”

“Me neither. Nobles rarely know how to swim, and we’re carrying luggage...”

The Southern Wonhwa, Rika Delphre, glared at Silin.

Silin glared back, her face pale.

“Luggage?”

“Because of you, this happened!”

“Crimson Ghoul attacking me was your fault! You suggested talking, but I shouldn’t have trusted that.”

“You provoked first. If you’d finished talking properly, we might have met our soldiers!”

“Why do you keep blaming me?”

“Because it’s all your fault─!”

I frowned, watching the stream.

“Stop it. What if the ghouls come because of the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ noise?”

“...”

“Rika, why can’t you say a word to the Western Wonhwa? Bat or what...”

“The Western Wonhwa is right. Shut up.”

“When you benefited from me, you were loyal, but now that the Western Wonhwa might save you, you’re siding with her—”

I jumped up and approached the Central Wonhwa.

With one hand, I grabbed her cheek sharply.

“W-what...! (W-what is...!)”

“Listen.”

I looked at Silin coldly.

“One more interference, and I’ll feed you to my monsters.”

“W-what?!”

“You’re the only one who can help us by feeding you to that one to heal.”

I roughly let go of her cheek.

Silin gaped, then looked at the Southern and Northern Wonhwas.

“Did you hear that? You heard what your superior said, right?!”

“...”

“...”

“Why no response? That was a horrible thing—offering to feed comrades to monsters!”

The Southern Wonhwa crossed her arms. The Northern Wonhwa turned her head sharply.

“...Everyone?”

“I agree with Erilot.”

“I also think the Western Wonhwa’s right. The Central Wonhwa is only obstructing...”

Silin stiffened.

She opened her mouth in surprise, and the Southern and Northern Wonhwas ran over to me, looking around the stream.

“Is there anything I can do? If it’s alright, can I call your name? We’re comrades going through this together.”

“Then may I call you Erilot?”

“That’s fine, but since we’re out of sight, step back.”

The Southern and Northern Wonhwas quickly stepped back.

Silin grabbed her pant leg tightly and sniffled.

“I won’t leave you alone. If I get out of here, I will never... never...”

‘Ah, maybe I really should leave her behind.’

If I rope in the Southern and Northern Wonhwas and spin a good story, I might be able to manage her.

That was what I was thinking.

“Huh?”

Something moved in the water.

‘Could it be...?’

I stepped briskly into the water.

It was bitterly cold, bone-chilling since it was winter, but I didn’t care.

Then, seizing the moment, I snapped my hands—

And pulled something out.

“Oh my?”

“Wow, cute.”

The Southern and Northern Wonhwas widened their eyes, staring at what I held.

“It looks like a shrunken human baby. What is it?”

“It’s a Nyx.”

“Nyx? Nyx is a sea monster, isn’t it?”

The Southern Wonhwa’s words were confirmed with a nod from the Northern Wonhwa.

“A fish-like monster? Covered in scales, bulky, with gills and shark-like teeth... ugh.”

“That merfolk with a trident, Nyx? Wow, the baby Nyx looks so cute.”

The Southern and Northern Wonhwas craned their necks staring at the baby Nyx.

“Fascinating. That creepy thing looks so cute when young.”

“Wow, such tiny fingers. So cute~!”

While the two fussed, I was deep in thought.

‘Why is Nyx here?’

Nyx is the sea dragon Jörmungandr’s familiar.

Suddenly, questions started flooding my mind.

Nyx, Jörmungandr’s familiar, is here.

A lightbulb went off in my head.

‘That’s it!’

I handed the baby Nyx to the Southern Wonhwa and said,

“Here!”

“W-where are you going? What if the ghouls come?”

“Show Nyx if they attack. They won’t attack.”

“Huh?!”

I ran ahead of the three.

...toward the Crimson Ghoul!

The Crimson Ghoul wore a cold expression and ordered the ghouls,

“Still haven’t found it?”

“Your Majesty, King of Eternal Rest, humans, no exit.”

They shared senses with monsters released everywhere but couldn’t find the four girls.

‘The cave.’

They hadn’t escaped yet.

“Search the cave thoroughly. If they resist severely, eating three is allowed.”

A chilling aura appeared in the eyes of the ghouls.

His territory was running low on prey.

Though he could absorb sacred power from nature, the ‘children’ were different.

Whether human or beast, they couldn’t survive without food.

‘In this case, all humans who enter the territory become prey for the children.’

The Crimson Ghoul’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

Noisy sounds came from the cave entrance.

“I came on my own to meet your master!”

Then pushing through the ghouls came a small face.

A cunning, chatty, blonde child.

The child called the Western Wonhwa.

The Crimson Ghoul frowned.

“You are...”

Erilot, rushing toward the Crimson Ghoul, said,

“Let’s make a deal!”

“You’ve lost your chance, child.”

“We can start again, can’t we?”

Erilot laughed shamelessly.

The Crimson Ghoul narrowed its brows, stood, and slowly approached Erilot—

“To resume a broken deal, the terms must be raised.”

He looked down at the child.

A chilling magical aura surged from his body.

“Ten thousand human corpses.”

“...”

“Otherwise, you will never leave this place alive.”

It was an overwhelming presence, surpassing even seasoned power brokers.

Even the ghouls were crushed by his aura and silent.

Erilot said,

“That won’t do.”

“You think you’re joking—”

“Give me you.”

Erilot smiled slyly and continued,

“In exchange, I’ll make sure you won’t have to fight Jörmungandr.”

“...What?”

“You’re mine now.”