Chapter 116

As the commotion subsided, I finally had the chance to hear what had happened from the fox.

With her arms crossed, Irene recounted the events.

Her fiery red hair, which had blazed brilliantly, had returned to its usual orange hue.

Had she gained experience over time?

Despite the situation being alarming enough to unsettle most, the girl maintained her composure without a flicker of doubt in her gaze.

It was the kind of demeanor that made you feel like crossing her might result in your neck being torn apart.

That was... a little impressive.

Waiting until she finished her explanation, I couldn’t help but murmur an offhand remark as soon as she was done.

It was a mix of subtle praise and light teasing.

"Surprising."

"Oh? Did you think I’d get kidnapped again?"

"Honestly, I did. If there’s a role for getting kidnapped, Miss Irene, it’s practically your specialty, isn’t it?"

"...Aren’t you seeing me as too much of a liability?"

"That’s just my way of saying how much I care."

"Hmph."

The girl’s expression shifted into something peculiar.

I had expected her to respond irritably by now, but instead, she smiled with an easy confidence.

Her lips parted lightly, and she spoke.

"Too bad for you, I won’t let that happen anymore."

"Hm?"

"I heard somewhere that heroines who burden the protagonist aren’t popular."

"That’s... true, I suppose. But where did you hear something like that?"

"I read it in a book."

"A book, you say? Must have been a genre novel. Those are certainly entertaining."

"At first, I was shocked by how explicit some of the descriptions were, but... after a while, I got used to it. It wasn’t bad."

"...What kind of book did you read, exactly?"

"That’s a secret."

Pressing her index finger to her lips, the fox-eared girl whispered conspiratorially.

It was a smile that could truly captivate someone.

"So, I failed again, huh."

I clicked my tongue softly.

Just a few months ago, teasing her had been entertaining. Now, however, she barely flinched at my jabs. It was a bit disappointing.

In fact, she had even started countering my jokes more often.

Her black eyes gleamed with a mischievous light.

Was she secretly plotting to overthrow her master?

She truly was an ungrateful fox.

"You’ve grown a lot."

"I’ve had a good teacher, after all."

"That’s not necessarily a compliment."

I brushed off the idle chatter, turning my head to the side.

At the edge of my gaze, a flash of yellow hair caught my attention.

It belonged to the culprit who had attacked the fox a few hours earlier.

"Sniff... Sniffle..."

The girl knelt on the hard floor, her hands raised above her head.

Perhaps her arms and legs were reaching their limit.

Her hands drooped slightly with gravity, but when our eyes met, she jolted and straightened her posture.

So startled was she that even her sobs seemed to choke in her throat.

Like a fragile creature bowing to a predator, she held her breath.

"Hic... Hic..."

Her shoulders trembled like the leaves of an aspen tree.

Tears dripped like dewdrops from her eyes.

Though she was undoubtedly the perpetrator in this situation, her pitiful appearance stirred an odd sense of sympathy.

The fox beside me glanced at me sideways and asked with a dubious look.

"Why is she trembling like that?"

"It’s kind of pitiful, isn’t it?"

"Judging by her reaction, it looks like she’s terrified of you. Do you know her?"

"Ha-ha... Let’s just say it’s a long story."

I brushed off the question with an awkward laugh.

I didn’t have a better excuse.

As it turned out, she was indeed someone I knew.

I gazed down at the small girl.

"It’s been a while."

The greeting wasn’t exactly warm.

The girl kneeling before me was none other than Injustice (불의).

One of the Five Depravities under the Lord’s command.@@@@

We had crossed paths three years ago during the Coup War that shook the Empire’s underworld.

And we had been enemies at the time.

"Old faces are always a hassle."

Except for the strange incident during the field trip not too long ago.

"Unless..."

Could he have finally lost his mind?

Otherwise, it didn’t make sense for someone with his life in my hands to be acting so recklessly.

Maybe he’d decided to go all out in his twilight years.

Either way, I’d have to face him directly to get any answers.

"...It seems I’ll need to pay him a visit."

The timing was sudden, but it was better to deal with matters concerning the Lord swiftly.

The deputy commander at headquarters couldn’t find out about this.

"It would only complicate things."

I needed to handle it quickly.

With a faint sigh, I turned to the fox standing behind me.

"Miss Irene?"

"Yes?"

"I’ll need to step away for a while."

"...Can’t I come with you?"

The fox grabbed my sleeve.

She seemed more upset than usual, likely because of what had happened last time.

Her dark eyes locked onto the blond-haired boy in front of her.

"I’ve gotten a lot stronger... Am I still not good enough for you to rely on?"

"Oh dear."

Her gaze wavered.

The anxiety of being seen as inadequate.

The disappointment of failing to prove her worth.

I found myself at a loss for words.

"This is troubling."

It wasn’t that I underestimated Irene.

But the destination this time was tied to my past—one that might bring out my old self.

I didn’t want to show my rougher sides to someone I cared about.

After all, everyone carries some part of their past they’d rather keep hidden.

I gently patted the fox on the head.

"Just this once, I ask for your patience."

"..."

"In return, let’s make a deal. When I come back, I’ll tell you something about myself. Something I’ve always avoided—the truth about my past."

"Didn’t you say you didn’t want to talk about that...?"

"Well, there’s no point in hiding it anymore. Think of it as a gesture of trust."

"You’re being sneaky."

A faint sigh escaped her lips.

Finally, she extended a finger, sealing the promise.

"...It’s a deal."

"I won’t be gone as long as last time."

"You better keep your word."

"Of course."

I began walking away.

As I approached Injustice, who was still crouched in the corner, a soft voice drifted to my ears.

It was filled with concern.

"Don’t get hurt."

"I’ll do my best."

I replied with a brief smile.

Turning to the girl kneeling at my feet, I spoke in a cold, subdued tone.

"Lead the way."

"Huh? Oh, y-yes...?"

"Didn’t you say your master summoned me? I’ll humor him this time."

"Ah... Yes! Right away!"

Afraid I might change my mind, she quickly stood and spread mana around her.

She extended her trembling hand toward me.

Grasping her quivering hand, I felt the yellow mana envelop the two of us.

In the surge of light, her lips moved.

"Blink."

Crackle!

With a faint sound of rupture, the scene shifted.

"We’ve... arrived...!"

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a city shrouded in oppressive darkness.

Memories surfaced unbidden as I murmured to myself.

"It’s been a while."

The Kingdom.

The largest underground city in the Empire.

Once the self-proclaimed center of the underworld, teeming with criminal organizations and vice.

We were now on the Lord’s turf.