85 – Ruse and Intrigue (9)

“Erina… !!”

The surroundings froze as the guard’s corpse collapsed.

In front of her was the body of a guard.

Her body was torn apart and the corpse was scattered on the floor, not moving.

Erina did not respond to my shouting. She took her steps with her sword drawn.

Both eyes were empty. The gaze drifting in the air gradually turned to me.

“What did you just do!”

“…”

Still, Erina didn’t open her mouth. She just quietly approached me.

One pair. Hair. Sparks flew across her longsword as she slowly drew closer.

The figure approaching with the focus gone was similar to that of a murderer.

I could tell instinctively. There was no one who could restrain her now.

The same goes for the guards around you. Nobody moved as if her feet were frozen.

The thick scent of murder was carrying around.

Everyone was overwhelmed by her intimidation and couldn’t move her body.

I had a similar experience before.

Right before fighting Kayla, when she assaulted a bully at her bar. She looked exactly like him.

“Seohyun.”

Erina approached me before I knew it, holding her longsword and holding her straight posture.

Electricity flowed from her blade. Her entire body would be electrocuted just by brushing against her.

“I told you.”

“What…?”

“I will always protect you.”

Just like that, Erina thrust out her sword.

But her longsword didn’t point at me. Suddenly, a scream was heard from behind.

I immediately looked back and saw the guard lying on the floor, struggling.

“I was aiming for Seohyun.”

Before I could answer Erina, a commotion broke out among the guards.

“What…?! What’s wrong with you all of a sudden!!”

The guard holding his spear began brandishing his weapon at his comrade.

“Tommy! Calm down! Never… hehehe…?!”

The sudden betrayal of a colleague threw the guards into confusion.

How would you react if a colleague who was always by your side suddenly pointed a knife at you?

Most people couldn’t respond properly and were left helpless.

Among them, there were guards who rushed at me.

The empty pupils were floating unfocused.

While holding the spear with both hands, aiming for my torso, a stab came in.

As the guard’s flag spear flew, he quickly raised his shield and slammed it aside.

“Keugh… ?!”

He calmly raised his sword and broke the handle of the spear.

However, the opponent had no intention of stopping. He jumped at me and tried to punch me.

But before he could reach me, the guard’s body twisted over.

Erina shook off her bloodstained longsword and stomped on her opponent’s head as she fell to the floor.

“It is more efficient to decapitate than to break a weapon.”

With her calm tone, she swung her longsword and decapitated the fallen guard on the floor.

Erina was right. I just managed to kill the guard.

But she hesitated because she was a human being and tried to disarm her.

She was able to survive because of her help, but she was almost in danger.

“Thank you.”

At my words, Erina smiled happily despite her tired expression.

“No. Just trust me.”

She immediately turned her attention to the scuffled guards.

A melee ensued, with numerous guards knocking down their comrades.

Just like that, the guards who were supposed to protect the village were wiped out.

The few survivors were busy running away after noticing her strange signs.

Erina was the only person she could trust in the chaos of the town.

“Erina. Something is wrong. He is no ordinary traitor.”

Black pupil without focus. A face where even the slightest emotion has disappeared. The act of killing someone without warning.

There was only one thing that meant this.

“Deception. Among the enemies, there is someone who uses seduction.”

Magic that forcibly brainwashes and manipulates people. It was the most annoying among the demons’ abilities.

“Yes. At this rate, the village is in danger.”

“It was definitely not a surprise attack. It’s a planned raid.”

And it was impossible to brainwash such a large number of people in a short period of time.

I’ve been suspicious ever since a black mist rose from the swamp a little while ago.

Those who could manipulate corpses on a large scale were extremely rare.

‘He’s the only one who uses necromancy as well as seduction.’

Even that was not enough, so he planted spies all over the town who could manipulate people.

There was only one person who could do such a thing.

‘Ragnar.’

A mage who mainly deals with necromancy and seduction.

He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings and an officer of the Demon King who leads the army of death along with the Black Mist.

‘Damn it, why are the Four Heavenly Kings here… ?’

Why is Ragnar, whom we should encounter in the Pandemonium, here?

He thought he could prepare for any unexpected situation.

But the Four Heavenly Kings? A completely unexpected enemy appeared.

“Erina. Listen carefully. It seems that the Four Heavenly Kings have appeared.”

I calmly explained my reasoning to Erina.

Then, with a twisted expression on her face, Erina trampled the corpse beneath her feet.

A puddle of blood pooled on the floor with the sound of bones breaking.

I got goosebumps on my back for an instant, but there was no time to panic now.

“There is only one way to solve Dazzle.”

The death of a shaman who handles seduction.

If not, brainwashing will never be solved.

However, the opponent is one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He was an enemy that could not be easily dealt with.

“Let’s go to the headquarters of the guards. We need to inform you of the situation.”

At this rate, it was obvious that the guards would all be annihilated without knowing why.

I had to tell them that people were being brainwashed and that the Four Heavenly Kings had appeared.

He had to find a way to counter the Demon King’s army so that the town of Helen would not be destroyed.

“Okay. Just follow me.”

Erina brushed off her blood from her longsword and kicked away her helpless body.

Lightly gushing her breath after her long fight, she straightened her breath.

But Erina didn’t look surprised at all.

Even when a corpse woke up, when a guard betrayed, when I was told that the Four Heavenly Kings were enemies.

She just listened calmly.

“Erina.”

“Yes?”

“Did you… already know?”

Erina knew in advance that the village would be attacked.

Otherwise, she couldn’t have been so calm.

But Erina tilted her head as if she had heard something strange.

“What do you mean by that?”

She wiped the blood off her longsword with a light smile.

Normally, I might have thought it was a laugh to reassure me.

But now, her laughter took on a completely different meaning.

Lies. Erina was lying now.

She has been with her for a month.

In the meantime, Erina has told countless lies.

Now I could tell by intuition. She was cheating on me

“… No. The words came out wrong.”

Of course, she had no intention of confessing.

There was no evidence other than heartburn.

“Hurry up. It is dangerous if the village is occupied.”

“…”

Even if I pursued her like this, there was no way to uncover the truth about her.

And right now, I had to face the Demon King’s army.

I couldn’t waste time debating the truth with Erina.

It was urgent to inform the guards immediately and hurry up and join her colleagues.

“Okay. I will follow you, so make a way first.”

I decided to focus on avoiding the immediate crisis.

***

“Lady Celica.”

Kayla looked at Celica with a pitiful look.

The center of the monastery. In the chapel lined with old funeral chairs, Celica was weeping.

She held the abbot’s body in her arms and endlessly called out to those who couldn’t return.

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“Abbot… please…”

Kayla wanted to give her time to make up her mind for her broken heart.

Unfortunately, the village was now in danger.

“Lady Celica. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time.”

“…”

“We must protect the monastery. You never know when the monsters will come.”

The village was in danger. The Demon King’s army was still attacking.

And there were still children left in the monastery.

The abbot’s last request to protect the children could not be in vain.

“Okay…”

Celica calmed her crying children and had them follow them into the attic.

After Celica gathered all her children in the room, she asked for help.

“Guys. Never come out got it?”

To calm her children down, Celica smiled brightly as usual.

But her swollen face and tired eyes made her children feel uneasy.

“Selika unnie… are you okay?”

“Sophia. Don’t worry, my sister is fine. In the meantime, I am playing with the children and playing with Sofia’s favorite doll.”

“Sister. And the abbot…”

“Jack. Are you okay. The abbot must have gone to the side of the goddess.”

“Sister… Actually, I’m hungry…”

“There are snacks and bread in the closet, so if you are hungry, share them. Got it?”

After reassuring the children in turn, Celica quietly closed the door.

Instead, he bit his nails with an expression full of tension and nervousness.

And there was a child who was watching Celica.

“Mark…”

Unlike the other children, he did not go into the attic.

A boy who lives in a monastery with Celica.

Except for Celica, Mark was the eldest.

While Celica was away from the monastery, he took care of her other children.

Because she trusted him, Celica was able to entrust her children and go to her request.

Celica couldn’t lift her head because she felt sorry for her.

He couldn’t do anything other than give Mark a warm hug.

“Mark. Sorry…”

“…”

“If I hadn’t left the monastery, none of this would have happened…”

Mark didn’t say anything.

He was just looking at the crying Celica.

Celica patted her on the back while hugging Mark.

She couldn’t hide her pity when she saw him resolutely accepting the reality without crying unlike herself.

“You are also in the room. My sister will definitely protect you… !?”

In an instant, Celica’s body froze.

A blue kitchen knife was stuck in her belly.

“Lady Celica… !!”

Quickly, Kyla pushed the boy away.

But it’s already too late. A blade was stuck in Celica’s belly.

Too embarrassed, she couldn’t even scream.

Without understanding the situation, he just stared at Mark endlessly.

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