The Heroines in Crisis
Arian Liberin stared at the man named Rotten Bendision with a bewildered expression. "A discarded knight? And you claim my grandmother betrayed you?"
Rotten Bendision smiled, but the flames of hatred and fury burning within that smile were far too intense. Meeting his vengeful gaze, Arian Liberin felt a crushing weight in her chest, as if she herself had committed some terrible sin.
"That is correct, Princess. I was once a knight who served the Liberin Kingdom faithfully. Under the pretext of saving countless lives, they moved the explosion to my home and sacrificed my family in their place. That was the reward for my loyalty."
"What...?"
"A massive explosion caused by a mana bomb plotted by the villains of Yeokcheon would have claimed countless victims. So they concentrated the blast at the center to minimize the damage. Unfortunately, my house stood right there. In an instant, I lost my elderly parents, my beloved wife, and my son who had just come of age. When I saw their charred, shattered bodies, I realized my loyalty had been meaningless."
"Something like that..."
Arian Liberin could not believe what Rotten Bendision was saying. Her grandmother had sacrificed his family? A knight discarded by the Liberin Kingdom? A man who had served the kingdom faithfully had suffered such a fate? That can't be true. She did not want to believe it. As a princess of the Liberin Kingdom, she had been taught the mindset and duties expected of royalty. She had also learned of the responsibilities that came with being part of the royal family. [Royalty is the face of the nation. Never become someone who brings shame to the country.]
Yet even if she was not royalty herself, the Duchess of Le Stan—her grandmother, Ijina, whom she had never even seen in person—had done such a thing? All she knew was that her grandmother Ijina and her mother, Queen Laura, had been murdered in their childhood. They had been killed in a villain's terrorist attack, and the villain had been shot dead. That was the story she had been told.
"And I killed Queen Laura. I also slaughtered everyone in the Le Stan ducal house, including Ijina, with my own hands."
Rotten Bendision calmly revealed that he had annihilated her mother and her maternal family. Yet beneath that calm, the fury was unmistakably real. Just as she had once sensed Seo Moon-hyun's true intentions, Arian Liberin could feel that Rotten Bendision's rage was genuine. But she still could not believe it. No—she did not want to believe it.
"Lies..."
She muttered the word in Korean without realizing it, desperately hoping it was all a lie. The kingdom had sacrificed the family of a loyal knight? And the fact that she had never known the truth meant the Liberin Kingdom had covered it up. If it were true, what was she supposed to do? Moreover, the man standing before her was her mother's murderer.
I don't know... She had no idea what to do. Her hands and feet would not stop trembling. She understood that national affairs could not always follow the right path, but she had believed the royal family at least maintained a face that would not shame its citizens. She had thought they would show an upright image so that the people could take pride in their country and receive proper recognition for their loyalty.
"I can't believe it."
Arian Liberin spoke after forcing her agitation down. These were the words of a villain. Even if his expression and demeanor seemed to speak only the truth, she could not accept them. Perhaps he was simply trying to deceive her into lowering her guard. Though she tried to reassure herself, the confusion and shock on her face did not fade.
The students who did not understand Liberin language began murmuring as they watched Arian's bewildered expression during the conversation.
"What... what are they talking about?"
"It's in Liberin... I didn't study it, so I have no idea what it means."
"I think I heard words like 'princess,' 'knight,' 'family,' and 'explosion'..."
Rotten Bendision glanced at the students who were trembling with fear yet still whispering among themselves.
"There's no point in talking any further. Let's finish this quickly and go."
"Yes!"
The villains swiftly began subduing the students. The students screamed and tried to resist, but the gap in skill was overwhelming. In moments, they were neutralized and overpowered.
No...
Arian Liberin drew her sword at the sight. There was something more important than her own circumstances or the sins of the royal family. These students had done nothing wrong. Yet the villains would never leave them unharmed. Even if they had committed crimes, they could face punishment later. For now, she had to protect the innocent students caught in this mess from the villains!
Zzzzt!
"Graaah!"
One of the villains who had been casually subduing the students was struck by Arian Liberin's lightning and let out a pained scream.
"That bitch!"
"Stop."
A villain who had seen his comrade struck drew his weapon in anger, but Rotten Bendision stopped him.
"Princess Arian is my prey."
With those words, Rotten Bendision moved in earnest.
"Hup!"
Arian Liberin hastily swung her rapier to block the attack, but the moment their blades met, she felt the mana infused in Rotten Bendision's sword crushing down on her. The difference in level was immense. Moreover, she recognized his swordsmanship at a glance.
"Royal Knight Order swordsmanship..."
It was the swordsmanship of the Liberin Kingdom's Royal Knight Order. Simply facing the possibility that his words might be true made Arian Liberin feel nauseous. Still, she suppressed the emotion and fought on. If she fell here, the students would be in danger.
Activate!
She tried to activate the barrier to call the instructors, even at the cost of her grades, but there was no signal, let alone a functioning barrier. As she stared in confusion at the unresponsive bracelet, Rotten Bendision spoke.
"It's useless. We've long since analyzed that artifact's functions. As long as any of us are alive nearby, we've ensured it cannot activate."
As expected, they had prepared measures to prevent her from calling for help, which was why they had attacked like this.
Whoosh!
"Agh!"
Arian Liberin gritted her teeth as she blocked Rotten Bendision's strike. The gap in strength and speed was too great. Even deflecting his attacks was difficult. Realizing swordsmanship alone would not work, she wrapped her blade in light mana to increase its cutting power, but Rotten Bendision's mana blocked even her light attribute.
"It's over."
Arian Liberin hurriedly concentrated mana in her abdomen to bolster her defense, but Rotten Bendision's fist shattered her guard and slammed into her stomach.
"Ah..."
Along with the blow, Arian Liberin felt Rotten Bendision's mana, which had broken through her defense, surge into her body and steal away her consciousness. She dropped her sword, her body going numb as she collapsed.
Maybe I should have offered to go quietly if he promised not to touch the others...
In her confusion, she had failed to stay calm and only now thought of the possibility of negotiation. But it was too late. Her body would not move, and she could not even speak. All she could do was blink.
* * *
"Heh heh~ We finally caught her."
The villains who had subdued the students looked at Arian Liberin, now restrained by Rotten Bendision, with lecherous eyes. The real Arian Liberin was on an entirely different level from the photos and videos they had seen. Her dazzling golden hair, as if spun from melted gold, and her soft yet resolute pink eyes gave her an innocent, fragile appearance that belied her strength—strong enough that only a powerhouse like Rotten Bendision could have subdued her. And above all, she was the noble princess of the Liberin Kingdom. All of it combined to stoke the villains' desires.
"Queen Laura was something else."
An aging villain licked his lips as he recalled past memories. The time they had violated the young and beautiful queen shortly after she had given birth to Princess Arian had been the greatest thrill of their lives. Though they had committed countless crimes, none could compare to the pleasure of that moment. If Rotten Bendision had not killed her outright, they would have kidnapped Queen Laura instead of executing her and enjoyed her for a long time.
"This bitch Arian Liberin will die soon too, right?"
"Captain Rotten, if you're going to kill her anyway, can't we have a taste first? Heh heh heh~"
The villains shot Rotten pleading looks while reaching out toward Arian Liberin. As one villain's hand stroked her rear over her academy uniform skirt, Arian Liberin—though unable to move while restrained—felt a wave of revulsion. Her consciousness was still intact. As a princess, she had never experienced such molestation before. She had never even imagined a situation where she could be violated so helplessly at their whim.
"That's enough."
Crack!
"Graaaah!"
But the villain who had been groping Arian Liberin screamed and collapsed as his hand bones were completely crushed. Rotten Bendision had shattered it with his own hand.
"You already used that method on Queen Laura. This girl will die too, but she herself bears no such sin. She will end as a sacrifice to Lord Terenity in her current state. Do not try any petty tricks."
At Rotten Bendision's warning, the villains quickly withdrew their lecherous gazes from Arian Liberin.
"I have decided to end my revenge by offering the princess as a sacrifice. If any of you taint that process with your base desires, I will not forgive you."
The villains bowed their heads, though they ground their teeth inwardly.
"Understood."
"We will remember."
Even as they answered, their thoughts were different.
Damn it. Acting all noble just because he used to be a knight.
Come to think of it, even when we were gang-raping Queen Laura, that guy never laid a hand on her.
He just watched coldly, then asked Ijina what she thought before beheading Queen Laura right in front of us.
He says he has no interest in women other than his wife? What a romantic.
But no matter how much they mocked him inwardly, they could not show it outwardly. On the surface he seemed calm, but the man before them was a revenge-obsessed madman. If they mocked him with words, their head would be separated from their body.
"I'm leaving. Handle the rest yourselves."
With those words, Rotten Bendision grabbed Arian Liberin and swiftly departed. He was heading to the altar to offer her as a sacrifice.