Chapter 10: Crossroads of Fate

“Hey, Elina—”

“I’m Elina II. You’ve seen me before, right? Just call me Elina II!”

“How did both of you end up here? And what on earth was that breeze about earlier?”

“Feel free to relax your speech. Since you’re a friend of Elina III, you’re also my friend!”

‘What is this… Some cheesy coming-of-age line?’

Seemingly reading Lara’s contemplative expression, Elina III, seated on the opposite sofa, explained matter-of-factly.

“Elina II is friends with the Spirit King.”

“She told me it took sweating bullets to get help from Silpid. With such a grumpy face, she shouted, ‘Why should I risk my life for a human?!’… Ugh, and someone’s glaring fiercely at her from outside.”

‘Spirit King?! That even exists in this world? Since when?!’

While Lara saw nothing, Elina II looked flustered—pouting, covering her ears—a range of odd gestures that made her seem a bit crazy.

Unlike Elina III, Elina II was naturally cheerful and friendly; without being asked, she launched into a story about how she managed to escape.

“Noah, the Earth Spirit King, made a hole in the prison wall so she could get inside. Then Sallyon, the Fire Spirit King, melted and bent the iron bars. And finally, Elina III rescued you! Trustworthy, right? When she says she’ll do it, she always does.”

It was like Elina III was adding extra seasoning to a dish already served. Lara didn’t want to know any more—even if she did, it wouldn’t sink in. She just wanted to go back to her room and rest.

“Thank you, everyone. Or rather, thanks.”

“No, it’s nothing. We’re sorry we could only do so much.”

“Lara, for now, change into these clothes.”

Inside the box Elina III offered were a simple dress and shoes. It seemed like an apology in the form of a surprise gift, and a warm smile spread across Lara’s face.

Without a word, Lara shed her knight uniform and changed into the dress. Removing her wig brought a refreshing relief to her head.

“Thanks for being my friend all this time. I’ll always think of you.”

Had it not been for Elina III’s serious tone and faint smile, they might never have noticed anything was off until they arrived.

“Since when are you greeting me out of the blue…? Hoho.”

“We’ve arranged a new identity for you, so you’ll board the ship leaving at dawn.”

“Suddenly, what the…? Hoho…”

“The target is the Estevan Dukedom. It’s our only way to protect you. So leave the aftermath to us and try to escape as far from this Empire as possible.”

‘All I had to do was go back as the Young Countess! Why do I have to go to all this trouble over… poop?’

It seemed they insisted on keeping her far away to maintain their epic heroic flair. Annoyed, Lara forced a graceful smile.

“Can I get off now? Hoho…”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of here. So trust us.”

‘You start by believing in me!! I swear I didn’t poop!!’

It looked as if she was determined to brand herself the ultimate poop culprit. Wait—by staging this escape, wasn’t she admitting she was the one who pooped? A chilling thought made Lara feel as if she was now the prime suspect.

“Stop the carriage immediately! Coachman!!”

They shouted at the top of their lungs and pounded on the carriage roof, yet it wouldn’t stop. As expected, the leading lady always stirred up chaos. With two heroines now teaming up, things had spiraled completely out of control.

The carriage left the capital’s outskirts, winding through rugged mountains and entering a mysterious estate before pressing on. Lara, who had never left the capital, sat by the window shedding a single tear.

‘Don’t make this a bigger mess than it already is…’

It was a night of pure spectacle.

* * *

From early morning, the Knight Order’s underground prison was in uproar—a prisoner had escaped. Diches received the news as soon as he clocked in and headed straight for the basement.

Missing reports have been filed at both Duke Liniat’s estate and the Schmord Viscount’s. The young ladies vanished overnight…

Though the deputy hurriedly reported by his side, Diches’s attention was fixed on the newly arrived basement. He scanned the bars before fixating on the twisted iron grating.

“It appears someone cut it from outside.”

A knight who had already completed his investigation reported from behind. Normally, a nod would have sufficed, but Diches glowered at the prison interior as if he’d lost all patience.

The ropes binding the rookie knight’s arms had been cut. They should have maintained constant surveillance. How could someone commit such an outrageous act while he wasn’t looking?

“They thought they could get away from me…”

A faint mumble escaped his thin lips. The deputy standing nearby caught every word.

‘…No luck at all. New knight, may fortune favor you.’

Diches was the kind of boss who meddled in personal affairs and even called on holidays. He quietly prayed that the new recruit could escape his terrifying boss’s obsession and land a new job safely.

* * *

For once, Lara was grateful that the heroine was at the center of the crisis. After a grueling five-hour sprint to the Empire’s western port, she was about to board the ship when Elina II’s sudden disappearance ensured her safe departure.

“…Where did they go?”

Unlike Elina III, who dashed through the alleys in anxiety, Lara felt oddly calm.

Having avoided becoming an international missing person, she felt relieved. If Elina II were merely an extra, it would have been worrisome—but she was the heroine, so there was little to fear.

Despite constantly facing life-threatening dangers, ironically, the heroine always survived unscathed. Since she vanished just in time, Lara wished they’d returned only after every other ship had left.

“Did you hear? Lately, there’s been a craze for trading organs in this town.”

“Ugh, I heard 154 young ladies still haven’t come back?”

Though voices chit-chatted on the streets, Lara maintained her composure as she pondered the situation.

The missing heroine was destined to return safely somehow. After all, this disappearance was likely a setup for a dramatic reunion with the male lead.

“Maybe because we’re at the dock, grim incidents occur more often here than anywhere else. I heard there have been 154 cases of such disappearances.”

“So where did all 154 young ladies go?”

“They take out livers, gallbladders, kidneys—who knows what they do with them, but they harvest them recklessly.”

Besides, weren’t there four Spirit Kings by her side? In a way, that was much safer than being alone.

“Last time, why was that spirit mancer found dead just five hours after visiting this town? No liver, no gallbladder, no kidneys…”

“Aaaah!!”

Lara had no choice but to run desperately.

What if the clichés don’t work this time? What if non-cliché power has reached these heights? If the male lead never even held her hand and it ended with an organ trade finale? Just that thought made cold sweat pour down her face.

Somehow, it all felt like her own fault. Even if it were just for five minutes, she wanted to smack the past for calmly pondering during those moments.

“Did you figure something out?”

Elina III, wondering what had sent Lara running, silently followed by her side. As the alley grew darker, Elina III’s eyes narrowed.

Then it happened. From around the corner came a familiar whimper. Elina III suddenly grabbed Lara’s arm, whispering a warning as she steadied the staggering Lara.

“Just in case, stay here.”

With that, Elina III sprinted around the corner.

Worried about the sketchy back alley, Lara peeked around the corner. Not far off, she saw Elina II surrounded by thugs. In the distance, the back of Elina III could be seen dashing off alone to rescue her.

Having removed a male disguise wig inside the carriage, Elina III’s long silver hair rippled in the air. No matter how much makeup she washed off or how formal her uniform, she was unmistakably a refined noblewoman.

Sure enough, mocking voices aimed at her echoed from deep within the alley.

“How did two noble ladies end up in such a shabby place? No wonder—those scum never get caught.”

“They’re armed—how do you even approach them…”

“It’s just one woman! You’re quaking at the sight of a lady who can barely swing a sword properly?”

Her words made Lara flinch. Fortunately, Elina III was a real badass. With her solid swordsmanship, she would make those thugs regret their careless remarks.

“Elina III, be careful! This guy isn’t just any thug—he’s a black sorcerer who subdued even Spirit Kings, selected as a prodigy by the Empire Black Magic Foundation, and has bagged 56 awards at the World Black Magic Tournament!”

‘What? Those credentials are insane…! And how did they even get wind of his stats?’

At that moment, one of the henchmen—who had been laughing heartily—suddenly let out a strangled “Gah!” and collapsed. Immediately after, another henchman, unable to even cry out against the heavy, piercing scabbard, fell down without a sound.

In an instant, having taken down two opponents, Elina III charged forward—perhaps remembering Elina II’s earlier warning.

“Let go of Elina II immediately.”

“You…”

“Is this guy a super loser who wants to beat up a woman just five centimeters taller than him, like some dwarf with a shitbag?”

“It seems he’s forced to use his strength after all!”

‘No! Elina III, don’t provoke him! You know his stats are astronomical—he’s on world champion level!’

Lara stepped into the alley to hold her back, but the thug leader had already begun casting black magic.

A gigantic black snake slithered into the alley, filling it. It lunged at Elina III with shocking speed, its jaws snapping as if ready to swallow her whole.

At the moment Elina III channeled power into her sword to block the attack, dark energy surged from the venomous fang clashing with the blade. The sharp silver edge was first devoured, then the dark force crept up along her neck.