"What are you doing to her, Nova?" Catrina's voice rang out, her boots crunching over leaves and loose debris as she jogged toward me.
She came to a sharp stop, eyes wide as she took in the scene before her: me standing over the unconscious fire mage, one hand still gripping her by the throat, though not as tightly now. My knuckles were white, but my expression was calm—almost bored.
"Hmm, you guys already killed all the orcs on that side?" I asked casually, glancing sideways at her. I didn't loosen my grip, not even a little. The mage's face was red and puffy, and her arms hung limp.
"Yes, but can you please let her go? It doesn't look like she can breathe," Catrina said, her voice laced with concern, her brows furrowed as she glanced between me and the mage.
I tilted my head slightly, feigning curiosity. "And why would I care if she dies?"
"She is a guild employee. You'll get banned from the guild if you do anything to them," Catrina explained briefly, her tone growing more anxious.
I sighed and casually raised my other hand, displaying my silver guild plate, the embedded guild emblem catching the sunlight.
"Hmm, but I'm also one," I said with a shrug. "So who cares?"
"It doesn't matter. Let her go, or else." The warning came from deeper in the woods, the voice low, rough, and undeniably threatening.
Leaves rustled as a group of adventurers stepped out from the treeline—seventeen in total, led by a man clad in gear far too shiny for his job. He was tall, with sandy hair swept back and a trimmed beard. Definitely the leader.
My eyes flitted over the group. Seventeen… the exact number we'd been missing. My gaze hardened.
"Or else what?" I asked, voice lowering. "You attack me? Go ahead. I make no promises you'll leave with all your limbs."
I took a single step forward, letting my mana leak slightly, letting the air around me chill. "Even if you do attack me, you left your comrades behind to die. I'm certain the guild will love to hear about that."
The leader paused. I saw his jaw tighten.
"...We had to. The Orc King was getting away. We couldn't leave one of our healers behind for them, in case we needed them or they got attacked," he said, tone even—but the flicker in his eyes gave away the guilt.
"Multiple healers, and you couldn't spare even one? You could've left someone behind with protection. Then I wouldn't have had to—"
My sentence trailed off as the mage I held suddenly went limp in my grip. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and her eyes rolled back. I stared for a moment… then let out a short laugh and dropped her like a sack of potatoes.
"She isn't dead, is she?" the leader asked, wariness creeping into his voice.
"She'll be fine," I said dismissively, brushing my hands together. "But you, on the other hand…"
My voice sharpened. "What were you thinking? Did you really leave twenty-three injured people behind without a healer? If it weren't for Kayda, fewer than five of them would've made it. Maybe not even one."
"You sound like a hypocrite. Weren't you the one who didn't want to save everyone?" Gaby's voice cut in, loud and accusing.
I slowly turned to face him. "What?"
Catrina stepped forward. "Gaby, now's not the time."
"No, she was talking to Kay alone. I believe there was another way to save more people, but she chose to keep her own secrets instead. Am I wrong, Nova?" Gaby's glare bore into me, her eyes glinting with judgment.
My lips curled slightly. 'Did they plan this?'
As I scanned them, I noticed how Gaby and his group subtly fanned out, forming a semi-circle around me. Except for Catrina, who still stood to my side, the others were moving like chess pieces, cutting off angles of escape.
Behind me, the unconscious mage lay sprawled, and one of her party—a stocky dwarf—had quietly crawled over, grabbing her shoulders to try and drag her away.
I raised a brow. "What are you doing? Did I say she could go?"
"Bitch, she's our party member, you have no—UGH."
My boot connected with his face, sending him sprawling backward with a grunt. The mage's body flopped uselessly back to the ground.
"Oi. I don't give a shit. She stole my kills. And she needs to pay for it."
"…Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute." The leader held up both hands, baffled. "You're not actually upset because we left people behind. You're upset because Rin stole your kills?"
"Yeah!" I shouted, voice rising. "Today was the first time I got to fight things that weren't human! I just wanted to feel what it's like to rip some monsters apart!"
Everyone stared at me. Their expressions flickered through a range of emotions—shock, confusion, and a bit of disbelief.
"...Sigh. What was the guild master thinking when he accepted your employment?" The leader muttered, rubbing his temple.
"Well, Ed and I made a deal—"
I didn't finish. A flash of steel came from my right.
Clang!
I disappeared and reappeared a few meters away as Dalton's blade stabbed into empty air.
I glared at him, twin swords already drawn. "Oi. Attacking like that is really low, Dalton."
"What are you doing, Dalton!" Catrina and Mary shouted in unison.
Guilt flickered in Dalton's eyes for half a second, but he straightened quickly.
"To think you could dodge that even if you're an exotic class," Gaby muttered, stepping forward with his shield raised.
'Wait… didn't I say I was a dual warrior before? That's right. I never showed them my full speed.'
As I squared up, the other guild members nearby stiffened.
"Hmm, are you guys certain you want to do this?" I said, glancing around. "I think I have more people on my side—no? You're not going to help me?" I aimed that last part at the watching guild party.
The leader shook his head. "This is your party. You need to sort them out."
"What the fuck does that even mean?" I demanded.
"Rule number 45 for employees: never interfere with party disputes, even if it's a fellow employee."
"...Who the hell made that rule?"
"The King."
"...Dan did it?! What is wrong with that person!"
I paced angrily, kicking at a rock. "From this moment on, I swear—I hate Dragonoids. They're all dumb!"
"I'm out," Catrina said, turning away. "I only joined this party a week ago anyway—"
Mary stepped in front of her, knife flashing. "We can't have too many loose ends."
Catrina's eyes widened. "Wait—what—"
Before the blade struck, a white chain shot out, wrapping around Catrina's leg and yanking her back. She hit the ground with a thud and rolled to my feet.
"Loose ends?" I said, raising my voice and turning to the guild team. "Did they already forget about you guys?"
The leader's brows knitted in confusion.
'They're strong enough to beat all 17 of them,' I thought, before tossing Catrina toward the guild group. She yelped, but the guild group caught her, albeit clumsily.
"Alright," I said with a long breath. "You're targeting me, right? Then don't drag anyone else into it."
Dalton stepped forward. "Of course. If we bring your body to the Federation, we'll live a life of luxury for the rest of our lives."
My grin disappeared.
'I really should raze that country one day,' I thought grimly.
Before I could say anything, a voice called down from above, lilting and amused.
"Tsk, tsk. To think my hunch was right."
I didn't even look. "You're back faster than I thought. And what do you mean by 'your hunch'?"
Kayda's wings beat against the wind as she descended, eyes sparkling.
"You wouldn't have won if you fought them."
"I could've at least tried," I muttered, annoyed.
'Still not stopping my spell, though,' I thought with a smirk.
"And you, Dev—what the hell is that rule?" Kayda's voice shifted, accusatory. She pointed down at the leader.
"K-K-Kayda!" Dev stammered, paling.
"I got the dumb fox into the guild," Kayda said, jerking a thumb at me.
"Oi!" I snapped.
"Are you trying to cover up your mishap by letting your party die on you?" she pressed.
"No! Of course not!" Dev sputtered.
"You're sure?"
"…"
Dalton coughed. "Uh… am I being ignored?"
'No, we just don't give a shit about your dumb betrayal,' I thought with a deadpan look.
"Oh right, you guys are still here!" I said with a big grin.
Suddenly, chains erupted from the ground, tipped with glinting blades. They coiled and lashed around the traitors.
"AAAH?! What is this!" Gaby screamed as three chains pierced into his thighs and pulled him down.
All four were yanked violently into the dirt, unable to resist as the cold crept through their blood, freezing them from the inside. Even Gaby, the defensive brute, was overpowered—just with a few more chains to pin him.
Kayda watched silently before nodding. "Cunning fox."
"That's my nature," I said, collapsing backward onto the ground. "It took a stupid amount of mana to prep all that. I'm pooped."
"Thanks for stalling," I added with a grateful smile.
"No problem~" Kayda chirped, landing beside me with a smirk.
Dev blinked. "Wait… did you use us as decoys?"
"Yup," I said cheerfully. "And you did a fantastic job playing dumb."
"Y-yeah! Of course! We saw what you were doing!" Dev nervously scratched the back of his head while speaking.
Kayda's tone darkened. "Oh, but I'm not done with you, Dev."
His face paled further. "K-Kayda, come on, be a pal—"
"YOU!!" Kayda roared, wings flaring wide as her shadow stretched over him.
I looked at him solemnly. "May you rest in peace."
Ignoring the chaos, I stood up, dusted off my clothes, and slung the mage girl over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Help!" she cried weakly.
Kayda and I said nothing. Her cries faded into the background as we started the cleanup.