Chapter – 21
[You have become the target of the Apostle Kal’s Stigma “Incitement.”]
[Skill Big Data is analyzing the Stigma “Incitement.”]
[Critical!]
[Stigma: Incitement (E) proficiency has reached 100%. You have acquired Stigma: Incitement (E).]
Thank goodness.
If that critical hadn’t triggered here, convincing them might have been difficult.
And I even received the perfect skill at just the right time.
I’ll make proper use of your skill and escape.
As Kal watched me with interest, I raised my hands and approached him, showing I had no intention of resisting.
“Alright, fine. But I have a condition.”
“A condition?”
His eyebrow twitched upward at the word.
“You think you’re in any position to make conditions?”
His expression showed disbelief and irritation. I had expected that.
I smiled calmly and shrugged.
“It’s simple, so don’t worry. After all, the evil spirits can’t attack the Rulers anyway.”
[Stigma: Incitement is activated. Your words gain greater persuasive power.]
A notification sound rang as the skill activated.
After frowning briefly, he gestured for me to continue.
“First, give the two daggers you have to the two of us.”
“What?”
“As you can see, we don’t have any weapons capable of harming people.”
I shrugged and showed my empty hands. Kal nodded suspiciously.
“I’ll lend you one. If I give both, we’ll be unarmed too.”
Tch. So they’re not complete idiots.
Well, fine.
This much was acceptable.
The important part was the second condition anyway.
“Alright. One is enough. And I have a second condition.”
“…Speak.”
Looking bored, he picked at his ear and stared at me arrogantly.
“While we kill those two, stand back a little and form a perimeter.”
I pointed toward the bushes where the traps had been set and spoke calmly.
“That bush and the path there should work.”
“What?”
“We’re inexperienced. If we fail to kill them in one strike, they might try to run away.”
Matching their mood, I gave a cruel, vicious smile. They chuckled and nodded.
“Fine! We’ll do everything you want. That enough now?”
I nodded lightly.
“Take it.”
He tossed me the more worn-looking dagger. As he stepped back, I bent down and picked it up, then looked coldly at the trembling children.
“I knew this would happen! I shouldn’t have come here!”
Celestine’s face was filled with hatred.
“I’ll be the one to kill you.”
Sylvester felt the same.
“Unni…”
Lilia stepped in front of the two.
“I don’t think this is right. I don’t want this.”
“R-right. Even if you saved us… this is…”
Lilia and Eden’s words felt like needles pricking my heart.
But the goal was right in front of me.
All that mattered was for them to fall into the traps Sylvester and Eden had prepared.
“Shut up. Unless you all want to die together.”
So I had to look like a profit-obsessed madwoman in their eyes.
To deceive the enemy, you have to deceive your allies first.
“Or do you want to die too?”
Only then would their suspicion disappear.
“What are you waiting for? The rest of you should take your positions so I can kill them without worry.”
“Thorough, aren’t you? I like that. Everyone, block the bushes and the path!”
They would follow exactly what I said.
“This should be eno—”
The moment Kal took position where I indicated—
“AAAGH! What is this?!”
Right on cue, Kal screamed as he got caught in Sylvester’s trap.
“It’s a trap!”
Derek pointed at me angrily, his ankle stuck in the pit Eden had dug.
“You crazy bitch!”
Hins, the only one not caught, was busy trying to free his comrades.
“What the hell are you all doing?!”
This was our only chance.
“What are you doing?! Run!”
I grabbed Celestine’s hand.
“Ah…?”
One hand holding Celestine—
“Sylvester! Grab on too!”
—I grabbed Sylvester with the other and started running.
Yeriel was already leading Lilia and Eden ahead.
“…What is this…?”
Celestine, running behind me, struggled to speak between breaths.
“Do Nana or Yeriel look like the kind of people who’d abandon kids like you?”
I grinned.
Seeing Celestine look at me with admiration made me feel satisfied.
Good. That’s another trustworthy teammate secured.
“…Me too.”
Sylvester muttered quietly while running.
“When I said I’d kill you… I didn’t mean it.”
I knew.
I knew their words weren’t sincere.
People tell their biggest lies when facing death.
Their words were just born from extreme fear.
And besides—
“The fact that you said you’d kill me didn’t scare me at all.”
“……”
“So it’s fine.”
No need to apologize.
Just repay me later.
And when we get out of here, join our team—
I was about to say that.
“Miss Wendy!”
A scream from not far away.
At the same time, an arrow flew toward us.
It was aimed directly at Lilia.
It all happened in seconds.
What I did next was pure instinct.
“I got her!”
Thud!
The sharp sound of flesh being pierced.
An overwhelming pain shook my entire body.
“Ah…”
A horrifying sensation as something lodged into my back.
“Guh…!”
It felt like a red-hot iron bar was being driven into my bones.
It hurts.
Damn, it hurt much more than I expected.
It’s not like I’d ever been shot with an arrow before.
“Unni!”
“Benefactor!”
“I’m fine—”
Fine my ass.
It hurt like hell.
To the point where losing consciousness almost seemed preferable.
The pain spread from my spine throughout my body.
“Stay still. If you pull the arrow out suddenly, you could die from blood loss—”
“Pretty noona, hang in there. If you lose consciousness now—”
Yeriel’s voice, the twins’ voices, sounded distant like hallucinations.
[Stigma: Sniping (D) proficiency has increased to 33.3%.]
Even now my proficiency was rising.
Should I call that lucky?
Or just exhausting because it was exactly what I expected?
Through my fading vision I saw Hins smiling proudly.
“Not the target I wanted, but I got one at least.”
Right.
There was an archer among them.
Idiot.
I got their daggers and thought we were safe.
“Maybe I’ll use my last arrow on the pink brat.”
Hins slowly aimed at Lilia.
At that moment someone stepped in front.
Yeriel?
What was this idiot thinking?
All he had was healing ability.
“Move, Yeriel. At this rate… cough… I’m going to die anyway.”
This level of bleeding couldn’t be fixed with just a few healing flowers.
Unless we had the rarer ones.
And right now…
“We need bait.”
We needed something to hold them back.
Since I couldn’t run anyway—
“I’ll be the bait.”
It was the better choice.
Of course, I wasn’t saying this because I wanted to die.
If things get really bad, I can spend all my favor points on healing potions.
I had 20 left.
I didn’t know how much 20 lowest-grade potions would heal.
But after recovering, I planned to try the Blunt Sword technique Zenon taught me.
Hins only had one arrow left.
If I could survive that one attack, we could live.
And even the comment section was on my side.
— RomanceFanPresident: What happens to Wendy…?
— Owen: Don’t die. I started to like you.
[You gained favor from 9 observers.]
[Total Favor: 29]
Favor gained, proficiency gained.
Two birds with one stone.
The problem was this man.
“Miss Wendy, please don’t say that. I will definitely save you…”
Such a foolishly kind man.
“…I’ll save you no matter what.”
Even tearing up.
I was grateful he cared.
Just not in this situation.
If I had more time, I’d explain everything.
But there wasn’t time.
So I had to say something that felt like a threat.
All or nothing.
“Yeriel, run.”
“…What?”
“It’s the life I saved. So listen to me.”
“……”
“What’s the point if we all die together like idiots?”
If I died and they lived—
Since he understood life’s value better than anyone—
“Go.”
“……”
“Before I get angry.”
That should be enough.
After a pause, he finally spoke.
“…I will protect Lilia. No matter what.”
Hins clicked his tongue watching.
“Wow. What a touching friendship.”
He drew his bow.
“If you want to die so badly, I’ll grant it.”
The bow bent to its limit.
“I hate this kind of melodrama.”
The arrow flew straight at my heart.
“I’ll make it painless.”
Fast.
Strong.
This time he meant to kill me.
So I had to be faster.
[Do you want to purchase ‘Half-Remaining Lowest-Grade Healing Potion’? Quantity: 29]
[Purchase complete!]
[Total Favor: 0]
I immediately used them all.
[Effects of 29 Half-Remaining Lowest-Grade Healing Potions applied!]
Shhhh—
A sparkling effect surrounded me as my wounds slowly began to close.
As expected.
Even lowest-grade potions had this much healing power.
If I took the hit with Blunt Sword active, I wouldn’t die.
Blunt Sword deflects and pushes. It should protect my body.
Zenon’s voice echoed in my mind.
Even with Blunt Sword, it would still hurt.
Not dying didn’t mean no pain.
Who would enjoy being shot with arrows?
Still.
If there’s a moment you must act—
Even if you hate it.
Even if you’re afraid.
If it’s the path I chose—
I won’t hesitate.
I shut my eyes, bracing for the pain.
Ting!
The sound of something deflecting the arrow.
A stone flew through the air.
The arrow fell uselessly to the ground.
A chill ran down my shoulder.
It felt like someone had saved me like this before.
“Wendy Porcelain.”
A low, blunt voice filled my dazed mind.
Quiet, yet filled with immense anger.
“This time, you owe me.”
My heart started racing.
“So live… and pay it back.”
Through my blurred vision I saw black hair and a broad back.
The one who saved me.
The one I had been looking for.
“You’re late… you bastard…”
It was Zenon.
