“Wh-what?”

“Nothing. I only hoped you wouldn’t notice.”

Peruan said that while looking at Luman, which made it difficult not to notice.

It was true that, after Luman arrived, Ren had only been paying attention to him. He felt a little sorry, and a little embarrassed.

But this was no time to get caught up in personal feelings!

In five minutes—no, now there had to be only one or two minutes left.

Once those few minutes passed, the same scene as before would unfold. A scene with no end in sight.

The slaves whose ankles had been freed were trembling, but under Seka’s instructions, they picked up the chains that had bound them and began tying up the legs of the masked figures who stood frozen in place. Their number had grown quite large.

Meanwhile, Peruan was thinking about the safety of the people here and the clue that would lead him to the owner of this merchant group. Of course, Ren’s safety was also in his head, but now that that man had appeared, one burden had lifted.

He did not feel good about that man appearing—but at the very least, he liked that Ren’s life was as good as guaranteed now.

He looked like that at the moment, but surely he had left enough strength to save himself and Ren. Peruan’s eyes narrowed.

Tom also read his master’s thoughts. He accepted that there was nothing he could currently do here and helped Seka.

The problem before them now did not belong in the realm of ordinary men. From here on, what they had to do was hold out while preserving as many lives as possible.

Until the people who would rescue them arrived.

That did not look easy.

But had that man not come too?

As if he had dropped straight from the sky. Bearing the light of radiance with him.

“Brother.”

“Yes.”

Seka, who had been undoing chains, rose.

“Me, me too! Free me too! Why am I—!”

Voices begging to be saved and shouting at him poured down like arrows.

“We’re out of time.”

Seka raised his voice and spoke firmly. Those who met his red eyes flinched.

They could feel that Seka, who was helping people, was good, but he was also someone with blood on his hands. Blood was still dripping from the blade he had used to force the chains apart. It was a good weapon for making people keep their heads. A sword soaked in blood.

The ones who had been hurling crude curses and blaming Seka shut their mouths when they saw the sword he lifted deliberately for them to see.

Seka had no intention of persuading them with words alone. When fear was enough to bring panic, it was often more effective to give them a fear strong enough to drive that panic away. That was why he had deliberately not wiped his blade.

“Do not let your guard down. There are about thirty seconds left.”

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing could be heard.

Peruan, who glanced toward Seka, spun the sword in his hand once and sent Ren to Luman’s side. Then he stood in front of him as if protecting him.

Tom, who had helped undo the chains, was somehow already standing beside Peruan.

“Can we hold out, young count?”

Peruan’s eyes curved. His violet eyes seemed to ripple dangerously for a moment, then he let out a sneer.

“Tom.”

“Yes, young count.”

“I know whining is your hobby, but aren’t you exaggerating a bit too much?”

“Pardon?”

Tom looked blank, as if he had no idea what Peruan meant.

“I really can’t tell whether it’s an act or the truth.”

Peruan laughed low and patted Tom’s shoulder, telling him there was nothing to worry about.

At that touch, too soft and kind, Tom recoiled in horror and moved a handspan away from him. Since this was the young master he served, he could not bring himself to move far.

Peruan adjusted his grip on his sword and ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ looked at Ren.

It would be nice if he would at least glance this way. What was his angel thinking about so hard? Those lips, so deeply focused, were adorable.

There is no need to worry, is there?

Peruan did not avoid the stare fixed on him and sent Luman a deep look.

Without seeking Luman’s answer, Peruan moved as gracefully as his way of speaking.

His sword cut horizontally, slicing into the masked figures as they began to move.

The battle had begun again.

People bit down on their lips and swung their swords desperately.

***

Ren was desperate too.

Opening his eyes at a slant, Ren watched Luman’s expression.

“Why?”

Thump! Luman placed his hand on top of Ren’s head.

Apparently, he had no intention of taking his eyes off him. Ren needed to make his hand bleed somehow.

Surely Luman would not stop him even in a situation like this.

He might as well say it.

Ren gripped the necklace tightly.

He was just about to open his mouth and say, Luman—

When a suspicious light caught Ren’s eye.

He had already seen it once.

Ren’s brow furrowed.

“Ren, what are you looking at?”

Light was flowing out of the masked figures’ masks again.

Like before!

Like before—right before the slaughter began!

Ren’s heart pounded hard.

Was something strange about to happen again, just like before?

When Ren stepped forward without realizing it, Luman’s arm wrapped around his chest.

“.......”

That light... is gathering?

Ren held even his breath as he observed. Only the light flowing from those masks......

“What can you see?”

“......!”

Shing.

Someone seized Ren by the shoulder, and a blue-edged dagger touched his neck. Even without seeing that cold, blue sharpness, he could feel it. A chill, an aura of killing intent that seemed honed over years.

And below the throat of the one gripping Ren’s shoulder, the same thing—

A golden spear opened its jaws, ready to drink blood.

Luman did not move his lips.

He spoke only with the golden spear. If you do not lower the dagger, I will take your head.

The spear was not even touching him, yet the man felt pressure as if his throat were being torn open. Even so, he did not draw back the dagger.

“I don’t mean to hurt him.”

“......I don’t think that’s something a person holding a knife to someone’s throat should say.”

Ren blinked as he spoke.

“Five seconds.”

Luman opened his mouth.

“If you don’t move the blade within that time, I’ll drop your head.”

“Wait, Luman!”

Ren shouted urgently and rolled his eyes to look at the man.

“I know this person.”

That voice. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

‘Don’t touch my body!’

It was a voice he seemed to have heard in the carriage.

It had to be someone who had been captured with him. The unknown person with his hood pulled deep over his face.

There had been few times Ren had been fully conscious inside the carriage, but he vaguely remembered this person sitting silently in the corner.

The man’s breath against the back of his neck thinned, as if he were startled. Was he nervous?

His face was still covered now, but judging from what Ren could see, the more he thought back on the man’s build and voice, the more certain he became that this was the person who had ridden in the carriage with them.

He probably was not an enemy. He had been locked in the carriage for a long time.

“I asked what you can see.”

“Yes.”

The man moved the dagger a little away.

“I think I need to look a little more to know.”

Ren did not pay attention to the blade hanging near his throat.

“What are you doing right now—!”

“Young master!”

Kaaaang!

Peruan, who had been glancing back at Ren now and then, immediately turned as if to run toward him. The moment he was distracted, an opening appeared in him, and through that opening, the masked figures’ rough but efficient swords came chopping down. Blades poured like arrows toward his vital points. Seeing Peruan, Ren stared in horror and leaned forward, and in the end, his skin was cut.

And Luman pierced the man’s neck by exactly three times the amount Ren’s skin had been cut.

“Ghk......”

“Pe-Peruan...... Are you insane!?”

Ren burst out shouting.

Peruan, who had gone rigid, only came back to himself when Tom tapped his shoulder.

“Young master...... Do you wish to see me die by the count’s own hand......”

Tom muttered with a deathly pale face.

The one who had blocked the swords pouring toward Peruan was none other than Tom.

His sword dance could not even be seen. Only a noise sharp enough to tear the ears could be heard.

“This time, it was not whining. I truly thought my heart was going to shatter.”

“......After staying beside me, you’ve become quite talkative. Thank you, Tom.”

After catching his breath, Peruan approached Ren’s side under Tom’s cover.

His sword pointed at the tip of the man’s throat.

“Why are you pointing a blade at an innocent person?”

Peruan smiled brightly.

Once Peruan and Tom pulled away, the number of people collapsing increased sharply.

“Young count. I will go back.”

“Please do.”

Tom, who read his gaze, threw himself back into the fight.

To Peruan, who claimed to have found true love, Ren might be the most important thing, but as a servant attending the young count, safely completing the mission was what mattered.

Though by raiding a place like this, he had already fulfilled that duty.

Still.

Could a man called a young count really leave innocent people to die?

“Hurry and join them! I can’t hold them alone! I’ll die!”

Tom shouted loudly as he swung his sword with the speed of a flash of light. Before anyone knew it, he was matching his rhythm to Seka’s.

Several of the slaves who had been holding swords and fighting began watching for a chance, then fled toward the audience seats. They had realized the masked figures were not going in that direction.

Ren kept thinking that things were getting tangled because of him.

But he had no time to blame himself.

“Can’t all three of you put your weapons away? Isn’t this really not the time for this?”

“I can’t do that before I hear the answer.”

“How can I when this man won’t lower his sword?”

“That’s what he says.”

Luman added it playfully, but his expression was not playful at all.

With a perfectly calm face, he looked ready to jab the man with his holy golden spear and drop his head onto the floor.

A line of blood trickled down and soaked the man’s chest.

But as if he felt no pain, he did not even frown and asked again.

“I asked what you saw.”

Ren’s lips twitched, and his face crumpled completely.

What is wrong with the way this guy asks questions!

Ren’s eyes snapped wide open, his gaze gone mad with irritation.

I’m busy enough to die here, and even so, this is too much!

Ren stomped his foot hard and stepped forward with an angry face. At his sudden action, the man hurriedly pulled back, tripped over his own feet, and fell.

Whip!

The hood that had been covering his face tightly fell back, revealing the man’s face in the dark room.

“An elf?”