Volume 2, Chapter 38 – Urgency (Part 2)

Slowly rolling up her pant leg, Shinku gripped the dagger in her palm, took a deep breath, and adjusted her combat stance. All she needed to do next was ignite the short sword with flames and engage the soldiers.

But just as Shinku decided to target the patrol captain first, a warm touch covered her hand holding the short sword.

It was Fran. She had left Sera and the two Arctic wolf pups in the back kitchen.

Placing a finger to her lips in a silencing gesture, Fran shook her head.

“Leave this to me.”

“You—”

Before Shinku could stop her, Fran stepped out into the hall.

“Linsey, Bella, what are you doing?”

“Sister Fran!”

As if seeing a savior, the two The Fallen girls, on the verge of tears, hurried over to Fran in small steps.

Following closely behind, the patrol captain shifted his gaze toward them.

“Are you the one in charge here?”

“I’m just the one who handles payments. These two are my companions. They’re not The Fallen. Could you please let them go? Of course, I can prove their innocence.” Bowing slightly to the captain, Fran gave the two The Fallen girls a meaningful look. “Turn around and take off your clothes to prove you’re not The Fallen.”

Awakened by Fran’s gaze, the two girls finally remembered they were no longer The Fallen and quickly turned around.

“Sir, they’re still unmarried girls. Could you ask your men to step away for a moment? If there are any women among your team, that would be even better.”

The captain let out a low grumble, then waved behind him, summoning a female soldier he had brought along. After whispering something to her, he and the other male soldiers turned around, allowing the female soldier to inspect the girls’ backs.

“Could you please undo your clothes yourselves? As long as there’s no demonic mark on your backs, your innocence will be proven.”

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With Fran taking charge, the two girls began undoing their clothes, exposing their backs for inspection. After a thorough examination, the female soldier turned to report to the captain.

“Captain, there are no demonic marks on their backs.”

“Is that so…”

Perhaps he really had made a mistake.

The female soldier had served under him for years and had no reason to lie. The tension in the captain’s expression eased slightly. After the girls had dressed, he nodded at Fran.

“My apologies. I was mistaken.”

“You were only acting in the interest of Celtic City’s safety. Our small sacrifice is nothing.”

“What’s all this noise? Did Sera knock something over again?”

A slightly lazy voice drifted down from the staircase, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

Yisi, her silver hair loosely draped over her shoulders, descended the stairs. Upon seeing the patrol team, a hint of impatience flashed across her face.

They must be here to search for The Fallen individuals.

Though she knew they were just doing their job, Yisi had no fondness for the patrol team due to their brutal methods. Thanks to the Margaret Tavern’s frequent patronage by nobles, Yisi had built some connections—mostly young noble suitors and alcohol enthusiasts—and she waved them off dismissively, as if shooing away flies.

“Finished your inspection? If so, leave quickly. There are no Fallen people here.”

“Hey, you there—beastkin!” Ignoring Yisi, the captain locked his gaze onto Shinku, who was hiding between the kitchen and the main hall. “I’ve seen you before! You’re the Fallen one who injured my men!”

“Captain, you must be mistaken. She’s like us—she has no mark. How could she be The Fallen?”

Fran quickly stepped in front of the captain, only to be shoved aside by the furious man.

“I remember clearly—she’s the fire-wielding Fallen one.”

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Should I fight?

Since she had already been discovered, Shinku stopped hiding. Gripping her dagger, she stood up, ready to deliver a fatal strike if the captain came any closer.

In this situation, there was no choice but to fight.

But then, an unexpected voice came from behind her. Yisi, who had just descended the stairs, walked up to Shinku and wrapped an arm around her petite shoulders.

“Wait. I can prove she’s not The Fallen. Baron Klar can vouch for her.”

“I won’t let the Fallen one go just because you know a noble. I answer only to the city lord.”

“So I’m telling you—you’ve got the wrong person. If you see she has no mark, that’s proof enough, right?”

At that moment, Shinku suddenly felt a chill run down her spine—as if someone had slipped ice down her back. No, it was water.

She couldn’t understand why Yisi had done this, but there was no time to question it. The captain was now just two or three steps away. Shinku tensed her entire body, staring fixedly at the man’s position. If he came any closer, she would slit his throat with her dagger.

“Shh, relax. Leave the rest to me.”

A whisper as soft as a mosquito’s buzz reached Shinku’s ears. Then, Yisi exerted an unimaginable force—like being pulled by a dozen horses at once. To Shinku’s shock, she found herself completely immobilized, unable to resist Yisi’s strength despite her own power.

In the end, she could only obediently turn around.

“After the last time, I assume you brought female soldiers. Let a woman inspect her.”

Though Shinku couldn’t see what was happening behind her, she could hear faint footsteps—likely the captain heeding Yisi’s words. A sense of disbelief washed over her again. In her eyes, the patrol team was supposed to be unreasonable and impossible to negotiate with.

“Shinku, take off your clothes.”

“…Yes.”

If she undressed, she would be exposed immediately. Yet for some reason, Shinku felt an inexplicable sense of calm—especially from the warm hand resting on her shoulder. It gave her the feeling that leaving things to Yisi would be just fine.

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One by one, she undid the buttons of her thick cotton tavern uniform and sweater, leaving only a long-sleeved undershirt. Then, she lifted the hem, revealing her snow-white back beneath.

Her damp, smooth back bore no trace of any mark—not even a single dark spot.

After a thorough inspection, the female soldier quietly approached the captain and whispered something in his ear. The disbelief on his face became increasingly apparent.

“Well? I told you she’s not The Fallen. You misidentified her, Captain.”

“How is this possible… Jenny, are you sure you didn’t miss anything?”

“Yes, Captain. I checked carefully.”

“Impossible.”

The captain clearly didn’t believe the female soldier. Breaking his earlier agreement, he turned to look at Shinku himself—only to find her back completely free of any demonic mark. He froze in place.

At the same time, Shinku was equally stunned. As the person in question, she knew better than anyone whether she bore the mark. Yet now, it has inexplicably vanished. A wave of indescribable shock left her rooted to the spot.

Yisi’s impatient voice sounded again.

“What do you mean, ‘impossible’? Are you falsely accusing my employee, Captain? I don’t mind taking this to noble arbitration, but you’ll bear the consequences.”

Her tone, completely unlike her usual easygoing self, was so confrontational it bordered on provocation. Shinku’s shock deepened—she had never seen an ordinary person dare to speak to the patrol team like this, as if unaware of their authority.

Could Miss Yisi actually be as unfathomably strong as our master? Recalling the monstrous strength that had restrained her earlier, Shinku swallowed hard. She had always wondered how a mere human could have a pureblood vampire indebted to her. Now, it seemed there was much more to it.

As if unwilling to admit defeat, the captain fell silent for a long moment before reluctantly nodding.

“My apologies. I was mistaken.”

“Now that you know, hurry up and leave. We’re hosting a noble gathering here tonight. If you delay preparations, the consequences won’t be something you can handle.”

Under Yisi’s urging, the patrol team quickly left the tavern. Fran hurriedly shut the door, then rushed over to Shinku, who was still dressing, her expression a mix of anxiety and reproach.

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“Shinku, what were you thinking? Miss Yisi just saved you, and you didn’t even thank her. She’s the one who gave us this stable life!”

“…I wasn’t ungrateful. There’s just something bothering me.”

Lowering her head, Shinku bit her lip lightly, lost in thought.

Fran instinctively pressed further.

“What could be more important than your rudeness just now?”

“I think—no, this is just a guess—but Miss Yisi might be even stronger than our master.” Remembering the liquid that had been poured over her back, Shinku looked up into Fran’s eyes. “They might even be the same person.”

“That’s impossible. Have you lost your mind from fright?” Fran’s expression twisted in disbelief as she crouched down, pressing her forehead against Shinku’s. “You don’t have a fever, either.”

“Get your head away from me, Fran.” Pushing Fran’s face aside in disgust, Shinku muttered under her breath, “It must be my imagination. They’re two completely different people, after all—ah!”

As if suddenly remembering something, Shinku’s eyes widened in a very age-appropriate “Oh no!” expression.

“What is it?”

“Margaret is still on the stove!”

“Tch, then hurry up!”

Under Fran’s urging, the two of them rushed toward the kitchen, completely unaware of Yisi hiding in the shadows nearby.

“A woman’s intuition is terrifying…”

Her sigh of relief dissipated into the cold winter air.

Translator Note

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