The Final Masterminds Are Obsessed with My Foot Jelly
Kailian’s hand slipped away from my cheek, and she rose slowly from her spot.
Shlurrr—.
The cold steel of her waist-sheathed sword slid free with a whisper.
Kailian walked forward with the same icy gaze, stopping directly above the collapsed barbarian chieftain whose red hair was matted with blood.
She pressed the flat of her blade against the back of the injured woman’s neck.
“……!”
The sight hit me so hard that my eyes flew wide open.
Whoa, hold on!
Even though we’d already won, if she killed the chieftain right here in front of everyone, the barbarians might turn on us again.
I tapped her legs urgently with my front paws.
“Puhuh.”
A pointless little laugh suddenly burst from Kailian’s lips, cutting through the cold killing intent that had been rolling off her.
She sheathed her sword and flashed a bright, teasing smile at me.
“What a surprise. I’m not going to kill her.”
Kailian shrugged and looked down at the fallen chieftain with the same cold eyes.
“You deliberately kept her alive, didn’t you? If I just cut her head off right here, that would mean I’m ignoring you.”
That’s right. Now behave and stop.
I let out a relieved sigh as I slid off her leg. Kailian stared at the chieftain with pure disgust, then slammed her sword back into its sheath with a heavy clack.
I slipped away from her and approached the unconscious woman’s face.
Let’s see if there’s still a heartbeat under all this blood.
I poked her dusty cheek with my paw.
Tap. Tap.
“Cough… hrrgh…”
She jolted slightly from the impact and coughed up blood, but she was still breathing.
Wow, she’s tougher than she looks.
Kailian gave orders to the soldiers standing behind her.
“She’s the leader of the enemy forces. Bring the restraint cuffs and chains immediately. Make sure her limbs are tied tight. And stuff a gag in her mouth so she can’t make any trouble.”
“Yes! Your Highness!”
Before the words had even finished leaving Kailian’s mouth, four burly soldiers came running over with thick chains.
They moved with practiced efficiency, wrapping the unconscious chieftain’s arms and legs in heavy steel.
Clink. Clang.
Seeing the massive chains lock around her like they were trying to crush her, I finally let myself believe that the situation was truly over.
“……Eh?”
One of the soldiers who had been binding her arm tilted his head.
“She’s still holding onto something even while unconscious.”
The soldier’s eyes narrowed toward the chieftain’s right hand.
Her fingers were curled so tightly around whatever she was gripping that her nails had sunk deep into her own palm.
“Is she holding poison? Open it.”
The soldier reached out to force her fist open without a second thought—
—and the moment his fingers brushed hers:
Blink—!
The chieftain’s eyes snapped open.
“KRRRRRAAAAAHH!!”
“Hiiiik?!”
Crack—!!
A beast-like roar exploded from her throat. The thick iron chains that had been pinning her arms snapped like twigs.
Her fist, freed by the broken chain, slammed straight into the soldier’s face.
Thud—!!
“Cough…!”
The soldier flew backward through the air and crashed far away with a sickening impact.
Wha—?
Why is she still trying to fight?!
Before I could even process what had just happened, the chieftain’s bloodshot eyes locked onto me with pure murder.
“Die—!!”
She twisted her body, the chains still dangling from her wrists, and launched herself at me like a mad dog.
Slash—!!
Before her body could even reach me, Kailian’s sword flashed in the air.
“K, aaaaaah!!”
Kailian drew her blade in a blur that seemed faster than sight and brought it crashing down on the chieftain.
The right forearm of the barbarian shot upward, severed clean at the elbow. Bright red blood sprayed out like a fountain.
“Who dares touch our Blanc?!”
Cold, bottomless killing intent poured from Kailian’s voice, the kind that made your blood freeze.
Even with one arm gone, the chieftain didn’t stop. She kept coming straight at me, her remaining left arm reaching toward my neck.
Does she have some grudge against me…?
Blood still gushing from the stump of her severed arm, she tried to grab my neck with her remaining hand.
“Kyahaaaak!”
A crazy woman for real!
I felt deep irritation and hurled myself backward, barely dodging her claws.
The tips of her nails grazed the end of my fluffy fur.
Stomp—!!
Kailian stepped in the moment the chieftain staggered from missing her grab, seized a fistful of her hair, and slammed her face into the ground.
BOOM—!!
“Cough…!”
The hard dirt cratered under the force, and the chieftain’s face was driven into the earth.
“Kuuugh… let go! Let me go!!”
Even with her face crushed, the chieftain thrashed wildly, trying to break free from Kailian’s grip.
“You disgusting little insect.”
Kailian’s red eyes blazed with fury.
The icy, razor-sharp killing intent that poured off her body made the nearby soldiers tremble and back away.
Kailian grabbed the chieftain’s hair again and raised it high, then brought her fist down—
Thud! Crunch!!
“Cough—!!”
She smashed it down twice more, each blow cracking the earth beneath them.
While the chieftain’s face was pulp under her boot, Kailian pressed her foot down hard and whispered in an ice-cold voice.
“You tried to touch my Blanc?”
The edge of her voice was so close to snapping that it was almost unbearable.
“You dare reach out at someone. I’ll cut off every limb and feed you to the dogs.”
“Kya, kyawoong…”
Butler, calm down. She’ll actually die if you keep this up.
I carefully approached, letting out a little sob, and Kailian finally eased the pressure on her foot.
“Haa… haa…”
The chieftain collapsed unconscious again, face ruined.
But that really was terrifying. The madness in her eyes.
Even after losing an arm, she still attacked me. What was she so sure of?
“Kyawoong?”
What was she holding in that hand that caused such a ruckus?
I couldn’t resist my curiosity and trotted straight over to the left arm she was still clutching.
Her fingers were white from squeezing so hard, even in unconsciousness.
I poked the rigid fist with my paw.
Tap. Tap.
Slurrr—.
The tension in her fingers finally released. Whatever she had been holding clattered to the ground.
“……Kyawoong?”
What is this…?
I approached the object that had fallen and froze in place, tilting my head in confusion.
It was a black scale that gleamed with an unpleasant, oily shine.
That’s… the scale Grandfather mentioned?
Just as I leaned in to sniff the mysterious scale:
“Blanc!”
Kailian called my name in a sharp tone.
“That thing looks extremely dangerous. It might be cursed. Get away from it right now.”
“Kyawoong.”
Okay, got it.
I obediently tucked my tail between my legs and took three steps back from the scale.
Kailian scooped up the blood-soaked body of the chieftain and hurled it roughly into the corner.
She turned to the pale-faced soldiers and gave them a cold order.
“Lock this woman in the deepest cell under the ground. Use triple restraints. And… send for the imperial physician. We need to keep her alive somehow.”
“Yes, yes!! We will obey, Your Highness!”
The soldiers quickly carried the chieftain toward the back of the tent.
Once the immediate chaos had settled, Kailian let out a long sigh and approached me.
“Haa… you must have been so scared, Blanc.”
She reached down to scoop me up the way she always did, but then hesitated in mid-air.
“……”
Her eyes dropped to her own bloody hands and armor.
Every white patch of her skin and the edges of her armor were speckled with red blood from cutting off the chieftain’s arm and smashing her face.
Kailian’s forehead creased in irritation.
Her body had always been stained with blood, but the foul smell of it, the disgusting scent of human flesh that had been buried deep inside her, was suddenly waking up again thanks to me.
Can I… still hug her right now?
She clicked her tongue and roughly slammed her blood-smeared sword back into its sheath with a loud clack.
“……Let’s go, Blanc. Let’s go home. I need a bath.”
The air inside the tent felt far too heavy.
Even the soldiers who had come to report were trembling with nerves while they delivered their messages.
Kailian finished her shower and stepped out, but instead of the usual cuddle pile, she collapsed onto the edge of the bed and stared blankly into space.
Water droplets fell from her wet hair, but she didn’t seem to care about wiping them away.
Why is she like this again…?
“Kyawoooon……”
Butler, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to play with me?
I jumped onto her lap, rested my chin on her belly, and looked up at her with my biggest, roundest eyes.
I made the most adorable, pouty face I could manage, but Kailian just mechanically stroked my head while her gaze stayed fixed on the empty air.
……Did I really just try to be cute at a time like this?
She had me right in front of her and was clearly thinking about something else. The humiliation was unbearable.
I puffed out my cheeks and let out a dramatic whine.
“Kyawo! Kyaaaaang!”
Look at me! Look at me!
I stretched my front legs out and began merciless paw kneading on her soft belly.
Poke. Poke. Poke!
“Aah, hick… Blanc, wait—!”
Kailian twisted in a fit of laughter from the ticklish pressure on her stomach.
“Puhuh… okay, okay. Ticklish. I surrender, I surrender.”
Finally breaking out of her daze, Kailian pulled me into a tight hug and tumbled onto the bed.
“Rurrrung… ggyarrung.”
You should have hugged me earlier.
I burrowed deep into her plush chest and purred happily. The faint, clean scent of soap replaced the blood that had been clinging to her.