Chapter 115

Affection or admiration.

The complex, tangled emotions filled her with warmth.

The girl thought of the warm stew.

A stranger’s kindness, like a miracle, had come to her during the lowest point of her life.

It now felt like a distant memory.

“Everyone, eat slowly. There’s plenty of food, and I’m still cooking more.”

A table that had once fed starving foxes until they were full.

At the time, she had suspected ulterior motives behind the kindness and remained wary. But in hindsight, that moment had marked the beginning of all miracles.

Now, that kindness had become an integral part of her life—someone she could depend on completely.

One day, she wished to become just as strong.

She hoped that, just as she relied on the boy now, he might one day be able to rely on her, that she could become someone he needed.

So that she wouldn’t be abandoned.

So that she might be loved, even just a little.

“...What am I even thinking about?”

Irene shook off her unnecessary thoughts.

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile.

After much hesitation, her hand finally settled on the simplest option.

The chosen dish was none other than beef stew.

It seemed like the better choice.

Rather than attempting something beyond her abilities and burning everything, it was better to serve something modest but reliable.

He would probably praise her cooking as delicious, even if it wasn’t perfect.

That thought brought a small smile to her face.

Her steps grew lighter.

“...”

Shadows roiled like heatwaves.

Unaware that someone was trailing her from within them.

***

At the same time.

In an alley where no human footsteps dared to tread.

A stranger peeked out from the shadows, her golden eyes fixed on the fox girl’s retreating figure.

Mana crackled faintly in the air as her flowing hair cascaded down.

Her alluring lips curled into a faint smirk.

“So, that’s the target this time?”

Her tone carried a peculiar ease, as though nothing could disturb her composure.

Although she wore a robe to conceal her identity, it couldn’t hide the overwhelming aura of a seasoned warrior.

The tension in the alley was razor-sharp, suffocating the space.

The woman murmured to herself with apparent delight.

“Her face... is quite my type.”

Her identity was as follows:

The Unyielding One, Injustice.

A prominent figure tasked with carrying out the Fourth Sword of the Lord.

Though her original role was to serve as an elite guard, today she had been ordered to infiltrate the academy on a special mission.

The order was simple: deliver the troublesome Snake to the "Kingdom" as quickly as possible.

Injustice clicked her tongue lightly.

“It’s too dangerous to deal with the Snake directly... And there’s no way he’d just follow me without a fight.”

A shadowy war waged in the Empire’s underworld.

The usurpation incident.

Having lived through it, Injustice was acutely aware of just how ruthless the Snake could be.

Even now, his presence haunted her nightmares.

He was a living legend.

A man who had crushed the underworld’s criminal organizations one by one, eventually laying waste to the very “Kingdom” the Lord had built.

The reigning ruler of that time had been forced to sacrifice an arm to survive.

A one-sided defeat.

The Snake’s feats were those of a monster.

Injustice wiped cold sweat from her brow.

“I really didn’t want to face him again...”

Her short grumble echoed in her mind.

Soft, muffled sounds.

It almost sounded like someone was sobbing.

I immediately sprinted in that direction.

“Irene!”

Bang!

I kicked open the door without hesitation, the wooden panel shattering into splinters.

The intense heat inside the room hit me, causing me to instinctively squint.

I quickly scanned the interior.

What greeted me was none other than—

“Waaaahhh!! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I was wrong!”

A loud, wailing voice.

In the corner, a young girl with yellow hair knelt on the ground, her arms raised as if she were being punished.

Her face was streaked with tears and snot, and soot smudged her body as if she’d been playing with fire.

I stood frozen, a question mark practically etched onto my face.

“...?”

What was this?

As my mind briefly stalled, another girl spoke up in a nonchalant tone.

Flames flickered beautifully around her as she greeted me.

“Welcome back. You’re a bit late today.”

“Irene?”

At the center of it all stood the fox.

Her orange hair had deepened into a fiery red, and the mana surrounding her burned with a searing heat.

The brilliant crimson flames radiated an overwhelming presence, and her sword, cloaked in fire, pointed mercilessly at the kneeling girl.

I asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

“What happened here?”

“I was ambushed.”

“And?”

“I won.”

“...?”

Once again, my head tilted in confusion.

The fox offered an explanation.

“Someone was tailing me from the shopping district, so I thought it was strange. When they attacked, I just dealt with them.”

Thud!

With the flat of her blade, she lightly struck the girl on the head.

The girl’s reaction was instant.

“Eek! I-I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me!”

The trembling girl pressed her hands together, begging for mercy.

She looked barely ten years old.

I silently turned my gaze back to the fox.

She awkwardly avoided my eyes before mumbling a half-hearted explanation, as if trying to excuse herself.

Her voice was barely audible.

“...Maybe I hit her too hard.”

As if to confirm her words, the girl burst into tears, unable to hold back any longer.

Large drops of tears fell to the floor.

“Sniff... Sob... I’ll never do it again, so... please, stop the heat... it’s too much...”

“...”

“...”

Her pitiful voice filled the room, shaking with raw emotion.

We stood in awkward silence, glancing at each other.

“Irene.”

“...”

“Have you ever heard of child abuse?”

“She was originally an adult... but as we fought, she kept shrinking. Now she’s this size.”

“And excessive use of force?”

“...”

The fox remained silent.

For a while, we stood in uneasy quiet, waiting until the would-be kidnapper finally stopped crying.