"We have been betrayed yet again! They broke the accord and attacked our encampment!"
"They were civilians, not soldiers! Simple Sarkaz people!!"
"Why did you kill my wife? Why must my people suffer such injustice?!"
"Why won't you let us live in peace?!"
"We only wanted a land of tranquility! We only needed a place to belong!"
"Is it simply because we are Sarkaz?!"
— The Fourth King of Kazdel, 'The Blue Rage'
After finishing his work, Yujin realized he had forgotten to take his trophies after defeating Tur. Specifically, that luxurious sofa Tur had been sitting on. Yujin headed back to the tavern to claim it.
"...Sigh, I should have known."
The tavern had already been picked clean. The shelves that should have held liquor were covered only in dust, and every other item of value was gone. Judging by the fresh scent of blood, it seemed people had fought each other over the scraps.
Yujin rummaged through the debris, but finding nothing but dust, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Maybe life's gotten too easy lately. Forgetting the basics like this..."
There was a time when he lived by rummaging through trash and eating scraps just to survive. Back when he had no strength and didn't know how to wield Arts, he was just an ordinary child. Now, he was someone people went out of their way to avoid, but that hadn't always been the case.
As Yujin stepped out of the tavern, he found Theresis waiting for him instead of Theresia.
"Whoa, give me some warning. When did you get here?"
"I figured you'd head here after work. Looks like they took everything, didn't leave a single thing behind."
"I should've grabbed it last night. That sofa looked really comfortable," Yujin said as he walked alongside Theresis. It was a shame. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten something so important.
Yujin handed the morning newspaper to Theresis.
"Hey, when is Kazdel going to build things like this? Other countries are already operating them."
"...Do you really expect anything from this country?"
Theresis looked at Yujin with cold, dead eyes. His gaze seemed to say: Look at the state we're living in, and you still have to ask?
"Nothing changes. It's been like this for centuries. And it will stay like this."
"You're too pessimistic, Theresis."
"I'm just stating facts."
Theresis's gaze was fixed deeply on the dilapidated slums. Yujin looked at the same scenery.
"Why don't you just go up there and change it yourself?"
"What?"
"Commute to the Royal Court and fix the country. Or better yet, why don't you aim for the throne of the Lord of Fiends?"
When Yujin jokingly mentioned the Lord of Fiends, Theresis jumped and covered Yujin's mouth with his hand.
"Are you insane?! You dare speak of the Lord of Fiends so lightly?"
"What's the big deal?"
To the Sarkaz, the title of the Lord of Fiends was practically taboo. They were the king and ruler of the entire race. Moreover, since the current Lord was still alive, Yujin's words were practically treason.
"They don't seem to do much anyway. Feels like just a puppet."
Eventually, Theresis had to cuff Yujin on the head to finally shut him up. Yujin grumbled but stayed quiet.
"Please, stop saying such mad things. If anyone else heard that, you'd be dragged off by the military and executed on the spot," Theresis said, looking exhausted. Yujin still didn't seem to care.
"Fine, fine. Let's just focus on what's ahead."
"Right. But have you heard the rumors lately?"
Theresis brought up the same thing Yujin had heard from Aorn at the forge. The news that people from the Royal Court were roaming the backalleys.
"I actually just heard about that."
"From who?"
"Old man Aorn. If even you're talking about it, I guess the secret's out."
Theresis nodded. Yujin turned to him with a serious expression.
"Tell the children not to wander around. Keep everyone inside. The other gangs will probably lay low for a while too."
When rumors like this spread, even the petty thugs had to go into hiding. They weren't high-profile mercenaries; they were just bottom-feeders who had lost the race.
Yujin looked up at the dark sky. A sense of unease washed over him, like the feeling before a sudden downpour.
"...I have a bad feeling."
"About what?"
Theresis looked at him curiously, but Yujin just shook his head.
"Nothing. Just a mood, I guess."
I hope it's just useless anxiety, Yujin thought as they walked.
Theresia stared at the group that had suddenly stormed into their hideout. They looked her over with distaste, as if appraising her, while looking at the children behind her as nothing more than 'merchandise.'
Why are outsiders here...?
No one in this area dared to touch Theresia or the children. As long as Yujin and Theresis were around, everyone knew that doing so was a death sentence.
But outsiders were a different story. Yujin's reputation only worked on those who had heard of him. And of course, this had to happen when Yujin and Theresis were both away.
One of the quicker children had already slipped out to find them, but there was no telling how long it would take. The children were hiding, looking for a chance to run, but could they really outrun seasoned mercenaries?
Theresia's answer was 'No.'
There was only one option left.
Yujin had always warned her: Never look down on Arts. Never use them recklessly. The lives of Sarkaz mercenaries who abused their power or ignored its danger always ended the same way—either executed by their own comrades or blown to pieces on the battlefield, leaving no body to bury.
But the situation was too dire to keep her promise. Theresia's eyes began to glow. Suddenly, the two mercenaries leading the group dropped their heads like puppets with their strings cut.
"What? What's wrong with you two?"
A mercenary behind them nudged them, but in that moment, Theresia recalled what Yujin had told her.
The advantage of the first strike and the ambush.
Even with a blade at your throat, stay focused and do what you must.
She thought of Theresis and Yujin.
Then, the two standing mercenaries suddenly swung their blades.
"What are you doing—?! Aaargh! You crazy bastards!!"
Blood sprayed as the first two mercenaries turned and cut down their own comrades.
"Guh...!"
Theresia ignored the sharp pain lashing through her mind and continued. Two more mercenaries, caught in confusion, were struck down by her puppets. The remaining thugs couldn't react to the sudden chaos; they were simply slaughtered by their own allies under Theresia's control.
A trickle of blood began to run from Theresia's nose. This wasn't simple physical enhancement; it was an Art that interfered with the human psyche. It was a rare and terrifying category of power, one she had never mentioned to anyone. She knew that her Arts, by their very nature, would be seen as a threat.
Even Theresia herself didn't fully understand her power; she had never used it properly before. Using Arts without preparation caused her immense agony, and for an Art involving mental interference, the price was even heavier. The capillaries in her eyes burst, and she could hear her teeth grinding together.
"Move aside. I can't believe a bunch of veterans who've eaten battlefield rations are struggling against a single brat..."
As more mercenaries fell, a Sarkaz mercenary wearing a pitch-black mask and carrying a massive greatsword stepped forward. He was clearly the captain of this squad. Theresia glared at him and refocused her will.
Thinking of Yujin and Theresis, the two mercenaries she controlled began to mimic their swordsmanship. She couldn't read their memories to perfectly replicate them, so she could only force them to copy what she had observed every day.
However.
"Excellent talent, but no depth. These are worse than wooden dolls."
There was no unpredictability. The Captain struck down the two puppets without hesitation, as they were merely repeating patterns like a textbook. With a single blow, their postures crumbled, and a follow-up strike to the jaw sent one crashing to the ground.
"Haaa... haaa..."
Theresia clutched her chest, gasping for air in agony. She tried to force the remaining mercenary to buy more time, but the Captain ignored the puppet and closed the distance in an instant.
"Gah!"
A clean kick sent Theresia flying. She slammed into a wall and slumped to the floor, unable to even breathe from the pain.
"I see you let the other brats escape while we were distracted... Truly touching."
The Captain's voice was full of sarcasm. Theresia bared her teeth, but her body wouldn't obey her.
He said even if I can't move, I can still attack.
Dust gathered at her fingertips, forming a condensed sphere that shot toward the Captain. But he had been watching her closely; he raised his greatsword and easily parried her final act of defiance.
"From mental interference to transmutation... a brat who hasn't even reached adulthood can handle Arts like this?"
The Captain couldn't hide his surprise. Mental interference was rare enough, but to possess transmutation Arts as well was unheard of.
"You're gifted. Too gifted for us to let go, I suppose."
With a sigh, the Captain admitted that if they weren't being hunted, he would have taken her with them. His greatsword glowed with an ominous light as he raised it high.
"Blame the fate you were born with."
Just as the blade was about to fall like a guillotine, a scream echoed from downstairs.
"...What now, for heaven's sake?"
The Captain scratched his neck in annoyance and looked at a mercenary who came stumbling up the stairs.
"Captain! Some kid is tearing through our guys! He's too fast—ack!"
"How many times must you disappoint me? You can't capture one girl, and now you can't handle a single boy swinging a sword?"
The Captain reached out and grabbed the messenger by the throat, squeezing. Back in the Royal Court, he could have enjoyed high status and comfort. How had he fallen to this?
"I'll be down in a second. Just hold him off. If anyone dies, don't expect a burial."
"Cough... ack... Understood!"
The mercenary scrambled back down, and the Captain turned to finish Theresia. But someone was already there. A boy he hadn't seen before.
"...And who the hell is this now?"
The Captain shook his head in exasperation and shrugged. He hadn't seen anyone come up the stairs. Had this boy climbed the walls and jumped through the window?
Theresia was clutching her stomach, curled in pain. The boy was shielding her.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I couldn't... keep my promise."
"..."
The boy said nothing, merely stroking Theresia's hair. It was as if he wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"I'm sorry... for being late."
Then, his golden eyes, burning with a savage light, locked onto the Captain.
Yujin drew his sword.