Chapter 16
At the Red Evil Mercenaries' encampment, Regina, who had come on the count's orders to kidnap Behena, had been utterly frantic upon realizing that Behena had deliberately lured her into a trap. After exchanging a few blows, she knew for certain.
...It's a trap.
This was a trap. "Hmph, you dare turn your eyes to flee right in front of me?"
But that little girl was blocking her path, and with time dragging on, escape wasn't easy. So Regina chose the smoke bomb from her pocket and a single spatial transfer scroll inscribed with coordinates to Yeongdo.
A scroll she'd secretly commissioned at great expense, just in case the count found out. The thought striking her, Regina feigned throwing a dagger and hurled the smoke bomb instead.
Dina, of course, blocked it effortlessly, causing the smoke bomb to hit the ground with a thwack! Soon after, it erupted with a boom...! filling the air with smoke in an instant.
"Ugh, what the hell is this...?!"
"Gasp?! It might be poison, Miss Dina! Don't breathe!"
Of course, it was just a smokescreen for deception—no poison. Using poison would tarnish the pride of her Black Panther beastkin kin.
Dina and Behena panicked as the tent filled with smoke in the blink of an eye. If she wanted, Regina could snatch Behena right then, but she had no time for that.
...!
Regina quickly tore another scroll from her pocket. Dina seemed to sense something and thrust her fist toward Regina's position.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Fortunately, the magic engraved on the scroll enveloped Regina's body, and in a flash, she appeared in a forest near Yeongdo.
From there, Regina bolted straight for the lord's castle. She didn't care if the lord died. Honestly, whether that human lived or died meant little to her. If anything, she'd love to kill him herself.
But the problem was the beastkin girl she protected—a slave bound to that pig of a lord. She wore a vile enchanted necklace that would kill her if the lord died.
In other words:
The lord absolutely cannot die.
If he died, the beastkin girl died too. As a beastkin's instinct, she could never allow that.
Thus, Regina raced across Yeongdo, thighs burning, until she reached the lord's bedchamber in the castle. By the time she arrived, the lord was already subdued.
Two people had pinned him down: a woman holding a staff with her eyes closed for some reason, and a man with a crossbow. She didn't recognize the man, but the woman with her eyes closed was familiar.
She was the one who'd protected a dazed man behind Bella during their clash in Soboro territory not long ago. So that man must be the one she'd been guarding.
A tense standoff. The man had his crossbow aimed squarely at the lord's forehead, finger itching on the trigger.
No time to think—Regina hurled a dagger at the man and charged.
"Darling, watch out!"
At that moment, the woman who'd had her eyes closed stepped in front of him, drew a sword from her staff, and deflected the dagger.
It would've been nice if it hit, but deflection worked too. Her goal was achieved.
She knocked away the man's hand gripping the lord's hair and shoved him off. A few scant hairs ripped free from the lord's head.
The lord tumbled backward. "Uwaaagh...!"
Regina blocked the fallen lord's front, drawing her dagger.
...Huff, huff...
Thank goodness she wasn't too late.
§
"What took you so damn long, Regina...! You useless beast bitch!"
The count's bellowing words. How the hell was he here? Dina should've been blocking him—how did he get through?
Ian was briefly stunned by Regina's sudden appearance.
"Darling. We should fall back."
"Yeah, be careful."
"Got it, don't worry."
Ian quickly retreated as Cheong-ah glared at her.
...
Regina said nothing, just drew two daggers and held them in each hand, staring down Cheong-ah.
"Grab those bastards and kill them... No, chop off that guy's wrists and ankles and toss him in the dungeon, and subdue that bitch and drag her to me!"
The count screamed, face flushed red. At his words, Cheong-ah's sharp, disgust-filled gaze pierced him.
"A wench like her...!"
Then Cheong-ah's sword whipped toward his neck with perfect precision.
He remained oblivious, smugly trying to continue, but...
Saintess Sword First Form.
—Butterfly Wing.
Clang...!
Regina's dagger blocked and parried Cheong-ah's sword. The count, shocked, scrambled to a corner and curled up with a shriek.
"Hiiiik...!"
Ignoring him, Regina raised her dagger into a stance. Cheong-ah spoke.
"Hmph, why not step aside? You can't beat me right now."
"Ugh."
Regina shook her head stubbornly.
Why was this woman protecting the count?
"Fine, whatever..."
It was puzzling, but neither Cheong-ah nor Ian cared much. No reason to—they weren't allies, just enemies. Neither was the nosy type.
"Then die."
Cheong-ah's sword slashed like light through the air. Regina reacted, parrying with her left dagger and thrusting her right at Cheong-ah.
Cheong-ah, buffed with Ian's physical enhancement, matched Regina's speed.
Clang...!
Clang...!
Clangak...!
Aiming for throats, wrists—Regina barely blocked Cheong-ah's strike toward the count. Their speeds were even, but a clear gap existed.
In that fleeting instant, dozens of exchanges flew.
Clashing relentlessly—without Ian's buff, Regina's pure speed might edge out Cheong-ah's, but...
Saintess Sword Third Form.
—Illusion.
Cheong-ah excelled not in raw speed, but refined technique—a sword style emphasizing feints and flow.
Dancing to dazzle the eye, exploiting the opponent's disorientation to press the attack. That was the Divine Woman's Dance taught by her revered master, the Sword Saintess.
Now laced with Ian's buff granting her a taste of quickness, the synergy was something Regina, who'd honed only speed, naturally couldn't easily counter.
Shwick...!
Two blades split like dividing shadows. Regina's eyes widened in shock.
"Ua...?!"
One sword targeted her, the other the count. Panicking, Regina realized Cheong-ah's true aim was the count from the start—Ian was just a distraction.
Then it happened.
Ignoring the blade hurtling at her, Regina lunged to shield the count.
Shraaak...!
...Urk.
Clang...!
Even as Cheong-ah's sword threatened to sever her left arm, Regina prioritized blocking the strike on the count.
Whatever. The oblivious count, unaware he was a burden, screamed as Regina seemed to falter.
"Damn it...! You worthless cur! Regina, what are you doing? Subdue them now!"
Luckily, her left arm was only half-severed, but it was unusable now. Without quick treatment, there'd be lasting damage.
Regina, an assassin, was used to killing—not protecting. So why go this far for the count?
Ian's growing curiosity was interrupted by commotion outside the window. Glancing over, he saw Bella, bloodied, supporting a man as they fled.
"Hey...! Ian! Ju Cheong-ah!!"
Bella's familiar shout prompted Ian to tell Cheong-ah, "Let's pull back for now."
"Yes, darling. Got it."
Cheong-ah nodded without question, glared at the count, then turned to Regina.
"Regina, right? Even if you can't speak, you can hear, yeah? We'll retreat this time."
...
"If you don't chase, we'll just go. Deal?"
...
Regina nodded in agreement.
The count exploded again. "Y-You damn bitch Regina! Letting those humans escape?! Who do you think you—?!"
"What a fucking moron."
Who did he think caused Regina to get one-sidedly thrashed by Cheong-ah? Cheong-ah winning was expected, but this wasn't a total rout.
Ian spat venom at the count, then pointed to the window. "This way, Cheong-ah. Cover me."
"Yes, darling."
Crash...!
They shattered the window and leaped out. About four stories up—risky for Ian. Cheong-ah mana-reinforced her body and clutched him tight.
"Damn it...! Regina! Chase them!"
The count's roars echoed behind, but Cheong-ah and Ian, sure Regina wouldn't pursue, ignored him completely and hurried toward Bella, who was frantically dodging this way and that.