The reverberation of something falling and making contact with the ground echoed through the air.
"Is it acceptable to handle them so roughly? What if they wake up!"
"You're concerned about trivial matters. The drug is highly potent, so even if they're mana users, they'll remain unconscious for the entire day, at least."
"You're correct... No one else has managed to wake up so far. It's just that hearing about their exploits in the forest made me a bit anxious."
"Did you genuinely believe anything they said while eating? It was clearly an exaggeration to glorify their actions. They probably got lucky and somehow escaped with their lives."
"Yes, you're probably right!"
Both nodded in agreement.
At that moment, they found themselves within a warehouse, appearing outwardly as a typical storage facility for farming or hunting tools. However, its interior revealed a different narrative.
A variety of restraint and torture instruments were strategically arranged inside. The pungent stench in the air hinted that it had been used recently. Bloodstains and scratches adorned the walls and floor, indicating the captives' unpleasant ordeal.
"Now, help me lift these individuals and chain them to the wall."
Franz, Eva, and Angelica lay unconscious on the cold floor before the two villagers.
"Yes, yes," they responded, securing Eva's head and legs to lift her more efficiently.
"By the way, did you hear about the girl who tried to shield the intruder?"
"Oh, you mean Natasha?"
"Yes, that busybody."
"Well, she was brutally beaten for attempting to protect the other girl. Initially, they planned to kill her on the spot, but they opted to keep her alive in case they couldn't easily capture the other intruders."
She smirked.
"But, in the end, it wasn't even necessary."
"Yeah, they'll probably dispose of her soon now that she's lost her usefulness as a hostage."
Both women callously mocked the unfortunate fate of a fellow villager they had shared at least a year of their lives with. Their voices lacked any trace of empathy.
Little did they know, their indifference only hastened the unfolding events, events that had already become inevitable.
The eldest among them, sensing they were spending too much time conversing, feared reprimand from their boss for tardiness in their daily activities. She attempted to hasten her partner.
"Anyway, stop wasting time and help me move her—"
She couldn't finish her sentence. In fact, she would never finish it.
But neither of the two women would realize this, as their consciousness vanished in an instant.
'...'
Silence.
A figure emerged among the bodies, gaze coldly fixed on the villagers on the ground.
Slowly, he traversed the warehouse's interior until he found two women chained to the wall.
One of them was Jessica.
Despite her unconscious state, Jessica appeared in good health. However...
To her right, a girl in tattered clothes was soaked in blood, her body marked by various wounds.
The figure's eyes lost their luster as memories from his past resurfaced, intertwining with the image of the battered girl.
From a bag, the figure produced a potion, placing it in the girl's mouth to drink.
After a few moments, her wounds began to heal gradually.
***
Cristina sat in her residence, contemplating how to explain the situation to THEM during their next scheduled meeting. As the village head, she served as the intermediary, relaying information and receiving orders from THEM. The process had become routine, yet the unexpected intrusion of a group of outsiders had disrupted the norm.
'Uncertain about the extent of the damage caused by the intruders... I should dispatch scouts to the forest immediately.'
At that moment, Cristina, like the other villagers, remained unaware of the forest's devastation and the cave's collapse. Assuming that Franz and his companions had engaged in a skirmish and managed to escape, she worried but hoped the situation wouldn't escalate further, considering their swift capture.
'Thinking about this will only heighten my anxiety. I'd better try to relax a bit.'
"Nicole, please bring me a cup of tea."
"..."
"Nicole, are you there? I need you to bring me a cup of tea. I won't repeat myself."
"..."
No response.
'Has she gone to the bathroom without informing me or something?'
Cristina had a designated person outside her room, acting as a secretary and assisting with various tasks. Today, it was Nicole's turn, and she should have been waiting on the other side of the door for any orders.
Glancing out the window, Cristina waited for Nicole to return, intending to scold her later.
However.
- Clack.
The sound of the door opening reached Cristina's ears.
Soon after, footsteps approached through the entrance.
'Looks like she's finally back.'
"You really kept me waiting too long, Nicole! I won't tolerate such delays in following my orders! Expect an appropriate punishment next time," Cristina said, clearly annoyed.
Despite Cristina's comments, hands soon presented her with a cup of tea.
Cristina dismissed the idea of asking Nicole for another cup, thirsty and desiring the iced tea.
However, when she brought the cup to her mouth, she noticed something peculiar when the tea touched her lips.
"???"
The teacup was cold.
'This girl panicked and forgot to heat the water!'
Momentarily irked, Cristina halted, reconsidering whether to drink from the cup. However, thirst got the better of her, and she took the first sip.
'...'
Unexpectedly, Cristina's expression changed as she sensed a different flavor. Even for iced tea, it tasted significantly different.
She looked down for the first time at her cup of tea.
'Hmm, this is strange... tea has never tasted like—'
- Splash!
Cristina spat out what remained in her mouth upon seeing the contents inside the cup.
- Crash!
The cup she held shattered upon hitting the ground, spilling its contents—scarlet red blood.
While still in shock, a hand gripped her shoulder.
"Nicole, what does this mean—!"
Standing behind her, holding her shoulder, was not Nicole.
Cristina's eyes widened.
"H-How are you here?" Cristina, visibly shocked, stammered.
"..."
Franz didn't immediately respond. He withdrew his hand and took a few steps toward the large window overlooking the garden, not turning around.
Though Cristina couldn't comprehend his strange behavior, she seized the opportunity, abandoning her chair and fleeing the room, calling for help.
"GUARDS, THERE IS AN INTRUDER HERE!!! COME IMMEDIATELY!!!!"
As she exited the room, Cristina's scream echoed loudly when she encountered an unexpected sight.
Being the village head, Cristina had stationed numerous guards within her residence each day for protection. She believed they should be fine since she hadn't heard any sounds from outside her room.
Contrary to her expectations, however, the hallway unveiled...
...Death.
Her guards lay on the floor, each with a fatal wound to the chest, precisely where the heart was. They had been swiftly and efficiently eliminated, a scenario seemingly implausible considering the rigorous training they had undergone.
In disbelief, Cristina turned her gaze in Franz's direction.
He continued to look in the opposite direction, yet Cristina knew he could catch her in an instant.
Not being a combat-ready mana user, Cristina had no chance to resist without aid from her guards. Trapped, she attempted to engage him in conversation, buying time to concoct an escape plan.
"H-How did you realize something was wrong with the food? The drug we provided has no taste or aroma!"
Although she spoke to buy time for someone else to rescue her, she was genuinely curious about how Franz had avoided falling into the trap she had orchestrated.
However,
Franz's subsequent words plunged Cristina into profound confusion.
"Actually, I knew everything from the start."
Franz's blue eyes exuded an intense coldness.