Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Saintess of Rome (7)
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“Wh-...? What?!”
Isabella's face turned red as an apple, her eyes widening.
She could feel her faintly trembling cheeks stiffen.
“Wh-wh-wh-what, what, what do you mean by that?”
What did I mean?
‘It means you'll be working to the bone under me, cleaning up after monsters.’
Of course, I didn't say the thought that popped into my head out loud.
The most important thing right now was to win her favor.
And based on that favor, to thoroughly use her.
“Well now. What could it mean?”
I asked playfully with a smirk.
“Ah...”
Isabella lowered her head, her cheeks flushed red.
‘It's super effective.’
Well, it made sense.
I was the benefactor who had saved her life in a crisis.
Our first meeting had also ended on a fairly good note, so it would be strange if she didn't develop some feelings for me.
‘Well, it's not like that favor will lead to romantic feelings, though.’
Saving someone's life and developing romantic feelings for them are two completely different things.
She would probably see me as 'someone she can rely on.'
‘That's just the right amount.’
It would be more troublesome if her favor turned into romantic feelings.
Things would get complicated if Ha-eun found out.
“Mr. Oh-jin... you say such bold things so casually.”
“Aren't you the same, Miss Isabella?”
Didn't she say something about it being like a date when we first met?
“Fufu. Perhaps.”
“Let's stop the small talk... and focus on escaping this place safely.”
“Yes!”
Oh-jin narrowed his eyes and activated Canes Venatici.
Thanks to having thrown the communication relic far away, there were no signs of anyone nearby.
‘Time to get a move on.’
I got up.
“Are you leaving?”
“We can't just stay cooped up here forever.”
“...I wouldn't mind, though.”
Isabella pouted as if she was disappointed about something.
“Pardon?”
“Fufu. It's nothing.”
She shook her head lightly and got up.
‘Looks like she's mentally tougher than she appears.’
Despite being chased by hundreds of assassins, her expression was relatively calm.
“Which way are we going?”
“First, let's aim to get out of Rome.”
The assassins had set up their positions in the city of Rome.
To shake them off, we had to get outside of Rome.
“Okay!”
I went outside with her, who answered brightly.
We headed out of the city center, passing through a maze of tangled alleyways.
*Step, step.*
Carefully, muffling our footsteps.
One step at a time, so quietly that not even our breathing could be heard.
“Um... Mr. Oh-jin?”
“Yes?”
“If we go this way, aren't we heading back into the city center?”
“That's right.”
Just as she said, the direction Oh-jin was heading was toward the center of Rome.
“Then, when you said we'd get out of the city...”
“Even if we escape on foot, there's nothing but mountains around here, right?”
If we went into the mountains, the assassins would just follow us more openly.
“We're going to take the Tiber River to the coast.”
“Ah.”
The Tiber River was a wide river that cut through the entire city, much like the Han River in Korea.
If we followed it out to the sea, not even the most skilled assassins would be able to pursue us.
“But we don't have a boat, do we?”
“We can probably find one when we get there.”
That's what I said, but.
I had already prepared a boat while researching escape points over the past six days.
If we passed the Colosseum and reached the river, we could escape on the boat I'd prepared.
‘And once we reach the river.’
I could actively use my ‘Hydro-Affinity’ ability to fight the assassins.
“I understand. I'll trust you, Mr. Oh-jin.”
Isabella nodded, perhaps thinking there was no other way.
*Step, step.*
Once again, we moved carefully.
After walking for about an hour…
“F-Found them!”
“Over there!!”
“Damn it!! Get them, quick!! We don't have much time!”
Was it impossible to completely shake the assassins with just a simple trick?
As soon as we left the alley and entered a wider street, the assassins who had been roaming the area began to follow.
“Tsk. Looks like this won't be easy after all.”
There were over a hundred assassins.
I never thought I could shake them off just by throwing the communication relic far away.
“M-Mr. Oh-jin!”
Isabella looked at me with an urgent expression.
“We're running from here.”
“Kyaa!”
I lifted her up and used my wire to secure her to my body.
If we'd been moving quietly like mice until now, from here on, it was a battle of speed.
*Thwang!*
Using the wire, I moved quickly, crossing between buildings.
“Damn it! After them!!!”
“Son of a bitch! Who does he think he is, Spider-Man?!!”
“Don't let them get away!”
The assassins shouted urgently.
“Hahp!”
*Kwang!*
An assassin who had leaped high into the air scattered awl-shaped metal pieces.
*Kakang! Kang!*
I swung my spear, deflecting the hidden weapons, and sprinted toward the river.
“What's going on? What is this?”
“D-Did a Gate open or something?”
As we left the alley and ran down the main street, we began to see ordinary people who were just walking around.
“Get out of the way, you bastards!”
*Chwaak!*
“Keoheok! Ggeok!”
“Kyaaaaaaah!!”
The assassins mercilessly swung their weapons at the murmuring crowd as they continued their pursuit.
‘Crazy bastards.’
I couldn't believe they'd be this reckless.
‘Weren't the Black Star Guild in Italy supposed to have a good public image?’
If they'd cleanly killed everyone, I would have thought it was to eliminate witnesses, but this wasn't that.
‘It feels like they're just clearing away cumbersome obstacles.’
In fact, there were people who were hit by their weapons but didn't die.
Meaning, from the very beginning, they had no intention of 'eliminating witnesses.'
And yet.
They indiscriminately swung their weapons at the people blocking their path.
As if they didn't give a damn about the 'good guy' image they'd worked so hard to build.
“...”
A sense of unease tickled the back of my neck.
The cause and effect of the event was twisted, like misaligned gears.
‘What is it?’
What went wrong?
Where did my thinking go wrong?
━A chain of questions, one after another.
But a clear answer didn't immediately come to mind.
“Mr. Oh-jin!”
“Keuk!”
*Kwaaaaang!*
A fierce explosion swept through the area.
I narrowly dodged the attack and kicked off the ground.
‘Damn it.’
With dozens, no, hundreds of assassins on my tail, I had no time to leisurely ponder.
‘Let's shake these bastards off first and think later.’
Oh-jin rushed forward and fiercely thrust his spear.
*Pajajajak!!*
A torrent of blue lightning sent the assassins blocking the way flying.
“Aaaaaargh!!”
“Block it!! Block it, you fuckers!!”
Pushing back the assassins with overwhelming firepower was only momentary.
They rushed toward Oh-jin like a pack of starving ghouls.
“Keuk!”
Oh-jin wildly swung his spear, shaking off the charging assassins.
“Dieeeeeee!!”
A sharp blade aimed for Isabella.
I raised my arm to block the blade.
*Puk!*
“Kyaaah!!”
The blade dug into my forearm, and blood spurted out.
A dizzying pain washed over me, but.
“Explosive Lightning.”
“Ugyagyagyagyagyak!!!”
I ignored it.
Ignoring pain.
It wasn't that difficult.
“Mr. Oh-jin... y-your arm!”
“I'm fine.”
I replied curtly and dealt with the swarming assassins.
Before I knew it, the number of assassins surrounding us had surpassed a hundred.
‘...Should I call Vega?’
No, not yet.
‘Let's paint a more perfect picture.’
With just this level of 'crisis'.
Isn't the picture still a bit bland?
*Pajik, pajijijijik!!!*
Feathers made of lightning fiercely swept the surroundings.
“Aargh!”
“Damn it!!”
Screams erupted.
I swung my spear, cutting down assassins as I ran toward the river.
*Chwaak!*
“Keuk!”
One step, two steps.
With every step, the number of wounds increased.
Large and small wounds decorated my body, drenching me in blood.
“...Mr. Oh-jin.”
Isabella gently loosened her arms wrapped around Oh-jin's back.
“Leave me and go.”
A trembling voice.
“We're almost there.”
“It's already too late! Even if we reach the river, we can't escape...”
“It's fine.”
*Kwadeuk!*
I twisted and broke the neck of an oncoming assassin and continued in a low voice.
“I will make it fine.”
“...Mr. Oh-jin.”
Isabella's eyes trembled.
‘Good.’
The climax of the play was approaching.
“W-We're here!”
After shaking off the assassins and running for another five minutes, we reached our destination, the riverbank.
On the riverbank, bathed in the red sunset, sat a lone boat that Oh-jin had prepared in advance.
“That... boat over there... you can... take it.”
“M-Mr. Oh-jin?”
Oh-jin deliberately gasped for breath and staggered.
With every step, blood gushed onto the ground.
“Quickly... get on... the boat. I'll... buy... time.”
Like a hero willingly sacrificing his life to save the heroine.
I pushed her toward the boat and turned around.
“B-But then, what about you, Mr. Oh-jin!”
“...Go.”
“No! I can't leave you behind, Mr. Oh-jin!”
“I said go, quickly!”
I pushed her toward the boat, bursting with emotion.
“M-Mr. Oh-jin...”
Isabella looked at Oh-jin, tears streaming down her face.
And then.
“Ah.”
*Stagger.*
Oh-jin's body swayed violently.
*Thud!*
He fell to his knees and collapsed to the ground.
“M-Mr. Oh-jin!! Mr. Oh-jiiiiin!!!”
“Q-Quickly... run... aw...”
Squeezing out a faint, fading voice.
━Oh-jin closed his eyes.
“Noooooooooo!!!”
A scream that echoed as if to shatter eardrums.
In the distance, the footsteps of the gathering assassins could be heard.
The corners of the eye-closed Oh-jin's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
‘Done.’
The preparations to decorate the play's climax were complete.
Now, I just had to lie here for a bit, and when she was in mortal danger, I'd receive Vega's blessing and wipe out the assassins.
‘As expected, the classic trope is the hero awakening in a moment of crisis!’
The heroine in peril.
The picture of the protagonist, thought to be dead, making a grand return and wiping out the enemies in one fell swoop!
‘Kyaha! What a spectacular scene!’
Since this was a plan I'd put a lot of effort into, I felt a thrilling sense of accomplishment.
“━You've run well like a little rat, Isabella.”
I could feel the assassins surrounding us.
“But this is as far as you go.”
They glared at her with murderous eyes.
‘Now then, shall I wake Vega up?’
Just as Oh-jin, who was observing the situation with his eyes slightly open, was about to infuse mana into his necklace.
*Chijik.*
[A portion of Awakener Lee Shin-hyeok's memories has been successfully restored.]
My vision distorted.
Unfamiliar memories began to flood my mind.
-If back then... if I had met Isabella that day... would things be different now?
-...Hyung.
Huh? What?
Didn't the transmission end?
-If I had met her back then...!!
The image of Lee Shin-hyeok screaming while clutching a rooftop railing.
‘Ah. Come to think of it, they did say the transmission would proceed in parts as the restoration progressed.’
Geez.
I've already solved everything, and now this shows up late to the party.
-If I had met Isabella!!
Puhuhu! You punk.
Yeah. I saved her just like you wanted, you brat.
No, I didn't just save her.
I filmed a whole drama, you bastard.
-If I had just killed that bitch back then!!!
Yeah, yeah.
Two years ago, if I had killed Isabella...
‘Huh?’
Wait a minute.
What the fuck did you say?
-If only I could have killed that crazy bitch when she was weakened by the 'Curse of Jamiwon'!!
No.
It wasn't about saving her.
I was supposed to kill her?
-I could have prevented this tragedy!!
You son of a bitch.
‘You should have said so from the start, you motherfuuuuucker!!’
The sensation of being bashed in the back of the head with a hammer.
Oh-jin's mind became a tangled mess in the face of this incomprehensible situation.
“You can't die, Mr. Oh-jin!!! Mr. Oh-jiiiiiiin!!”
Isabella's heart-wrenching scream rang in my ears.
“Heuk!! Heuk!! Heuaaang!!”
A sorrowful cry echoed.
“There's nowhere left to run!”
The assassins, who had surrounded her without a single gap, drew their weapons and approached.
“Hey, if you stay quiet, you won't get hurt.”
*Gulp.*
Tension was written on the faces of those who cautiously approached Isabella.
“Hi-hic!”
Isabella shed a tear and trembled.
A fragile appearance, like a frightened puppy.
One of the assassins, clutching his weapon, shouted with a fiercely distorted expression.
“Cut the crappy acting! Leech Queen!!!”
“...”
“A bitch who brutally tore our members to shreds making a face like that now...”
“━Oh my?”
A gruesome killing intent appeared in Isabella's blue eyes.
As if she had never been afraid, she slowly straightened her hunched body.
“A leech, you say.”
*Ddudeuk.*
Sharp fangs grew out as a suffocating aura overwhelmed the surroundings.
“Calling such a beautiful lady a leech isn't very nice, is it?”
“Keuk!”
The assassins' faces turned pale from the explosive killing intent.
“Hmph.”
Isabella scanned the assassins surrounding her, then looked down intently at the fallen Oh-jin.
“Let's see... you're not really dead, are you?”
She placed a finger on Oh-jin's Adam's apple and tilted her head with an innocent expression.
“Oh my? You're alive after all. Fufufu. What a relief.”
After confirming his pulse, Isabella gave a seductive smile and licked her lips.
“It's been so long since I found such a prime piece of prey. I can't lose it so meaninglessly.”
*Kkyareureu!*
Isabella let out an eerie laugh and slowly turned around.
“Fufufu. So many have gathered. Really... being so popular is tiring, you know?”
“Sh-Shut up!”
The assassins trembled as they surrounded her.
“Now then... I wonder what your blood tastes like?”
Black Star Guild's 3rd ranked Executor.
The Leech Queen, Isabella Colagrande, smiled coldly.