A Beast's First Breath
Without the slightest hesitation, she dove into the storm of indiscriminate kicks to shield the boy's body with her own. That didn't mean she'd thrown herself in without a single thought, however.
"What the— who the hell is this bitch?!"
The moment the unexpected intruder caused the kicks to falter, Odeliana seized the chance. She pulled a small pouch from her sleeve and hurled it into the air. Then she hastily covered her own mouth with one sleeve while clamping her other hand over Mathias's nose and mouth.
The pouch burst open midair, releasing a cloud of pure white anesthetic powder. The fine particles scattered in every direction, engulfing the boys who had been kicking Mathias. Caught off guard by the sudden powder bomb, they flailed about, coughing violently, before collapsing one by one.
"They'll be out for at least half a day."
They needed to get away from this place first. Odeliana grabbed the hand of the boy still in her arms and began leading the way without hesitation.
Running was impossible with her crippled leg, but she walked as quickly as she could. She nearly stumbled and fell several times, yet she gritted her teeth and pushed on. Perhaps it was the urgency of the situation—her steps were faster than usual.
She had worried Mathias might shake off her hand, but he made no attempt to brush aside the small grip he could have easily broken. Instead, he followed her obediently.
After walking for some time, Odeliana stopped to catch her ragged breath and looked around.
…Of all places to run, I ended up climbing a mountain.
She had simply wanted to go somewhere without people. The result was a forest deep in the mountains.
This was a place where dangerous wild animals—or worse, beasts—were more likely to appear than humans. Fortunately, beasts only became active once the flowers were in full bloom. Since it was still early spring and the cold had not yet fully lifted, the chance of encountering one was low. That was a small mercy.
There was no way she would run into a beast at this time of year, outside their active season. Surely her luck wasn't that terrible.
"Haa…"
She hadn't walked far, yet her breath had already climbed to the back of her throat. Her mind grew hazy as her body crumpled. Her heart pounded as if it would burst, and her entire body burned as though set aflame.
White puffs of breath rose through her disheveled hair. She tried to steady her breathing, but it felt as if her throat were clogged—each breath came with difficulty.
Damn this useless body! The moment the curse left her mind, an unfamiliar hand wrapped around her back.
"Breathe slowly while counting your numbers."
A calm voice sounded near her head as a large hand gently stroked her back. The touch moved in steady, soothing rhythm—careful and tender.
The unexpected kindness from Mathias sent a shiver through Odeliana, raising goosebumps across her skin. Yet her body, desperate for air, followed the guidance of his hand. Gradually, her breathing steadied.
Once her breath had calmed, Odeliana looked up dazedly at the boy watching her and managed to speak.
"…Thank you."
"I believe those are words I should be saying."
His tone was perfectly even, almost flat. Yet of all the words she had heard from him so far, these were undeniably the gentlest. Odeliana was thrown off by Mathias's unexpectedly kind attitude.
The boy's face, smeared with blood and dirt, looked far younger than the Mathias she had faced just before her death. His jawline was still soft, his cheeks retaining a trace of baby fat. Even so, his strikingly handsome features already carried an intense sense of self-possession.
He was quite different from the seventeen-year-old Mathias she had first met in her previous life. Of course, during the great barbarian subjugation, he had been drenched in enemy blood, looking every bit the War Demon, so comparison was hardly fair.
Still… back then, Mathias had carried the heavy, mature scent of a man far beyond his years. The Mathias before her now simply radiated the fresh innocence of youth.
Even his golden eyes, which she remembered as containing only chilling bloodlust and arid dryness, now shone with a vivid, transparent clarity. Where had the beastly gaze gone—the one that overflowed with dangerous, predatory beauty?
"Thank you for saving me."
His voice even carried a faint hint of laughter, and his manners were impeccable.
"Huh? Uh…"
The timing and circumstances were different from their first meeting in her previous life, but could someone change this much?
"Are you… hurt anywhere? Does it hurt?"
"I'm fine."
His composure was hard to believe after being thoroughly beaten by nearly ten children. His body was covered in bruises and lacerations that looked painful, yet instead of showing any sign of distress, he simply brushed the dirt from his clothes with leisurely movements.
"…You look terrible."
At Odeliana's murmur, Mathias let out a small chuckle. He wiped the blood and dirt from his hands onto his clothes, then extended one toward her.
His long, beautifully articulated fingers hovered in silent invitation, as if waiting for her to take them. Thinking it strange that the injured one was worrying about the other, Odeliana took his hand.
His long fingers gently enveloped hers, then applied just enough strength to slowly help her to her feet.
"Thank you."
Mathias gave a light nod before turning away. Was he really leaving just like that?
Caught off guard, Odeliana instinctively grabbed his arm.
"Where are you going?"
What business was it of hers where a stranger went? She couldn't believe such a stupid question had left her mouth. The absurdity of it made her laugh awkwardly at herself, but Mathias answered with perfect seriousness, as if the situation weren't ridiculous at all.
"I need to go home. It's getting late."
Ah, right. It was well past midnight. A good, growing minor should be asleep at home by now. But she hadn't even brought up the main topic yet. She couldn't let him slip away so easily.
"…They might come after you and beat you again."
"Then I'll get beaten. So what?"
This kid was going to cause a real disaster one day.
"You're just going to take it? No. If you don't resist at all, they'll keep seeing you as an easy target and keep tormenting you."
"Then shall I kill them?"
The casual way he tossed out the words was genuinely chilling. For the first time, he sounded like the Mathias she knew.
She had heard a similar question once before. What should I do with those who offend me? When Mathias had asked, Joslyn had answered as if it were nothing.
"If they offend you, kill them. If they get in your way, clear them from your sight. What else would you do? Lerusha, you are my cherished knight. If necessary, I can help you myself. I can make sure there are no loose ends. How could I not do at least this much for my loyal subject?"
Back then, how desensitized had the two of them become to taking lives? They had been raised into vermin who could drench their hands in countless people's blood without feeling the slightest guilt.
They had justified every sacrifice as necessary for the greater cause, purging every obstacle with these very hands. They had grown so numb to the sensation of cutting down humans that they felt no gravity in it at all.
Less than human. Vermin worse than beasts.
In this life, perhaps the two of them could live at least a little more like human beings.
"If killing them is the only way to ease your anger, I won't stop you. But I… if it were me, I would simply return their kicks. You mustn't harm people lightly. In the end, it becomes karma and returns to you."
Eliminate anyone who harms or obstructs Joslyn. The sword she had wielded under that ironclad conviction had ultimately turned against her. Joslyn had removed the queen he installed as a proxy because she had become an obstacle to his path. She had reaped exactly what she sowed.
"…Is it really necessary to kill opponents you could subdue without killing?"
"But if I let them live, won't they come back as future trouble?"
Mathias glanced down the mountain.
"When they wake up, they'll be furious and come looking for you first. They might even try to kill you. If I kill them before that happens, you won't get caught up in unnecessary trouble."
"So you're really saying you'd kill all of them?"
"If necessary."
"If you have the power to kill all of them, why did you just let them beat you in the first place?"
Mathias paused for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. His answer was completely unexpected.
"Who knows? Maybe I was desperately waiting for my savior."