ILDBL 21

Chapter: 21

The count, who had been staring down at Karina as if bewitched, suddenly twisted his face in anger.

“M-Move aside!”

“Oh my? You’re saying the head of the count’s family plans to abandon all his people and run away by himself?”

“Y-You insolent maid! If you don’t move, I’ll cut off your head and pass through!”

The count drew the sword at his waist.

At that moment, large men began to emerge one by one from the shadows behind Karina.

They were members of the Red Hawk Mercenary Corps, including Largo.

“W-What is this…?!”

Only then did the count realize that Karina was no ordinary maid.

“How dare you…!”

“Why don’t you stop wasting your strength and surrender?”

Her voice was so relaxed it bordered on carefree. Grinding his teeth until his jaw bulged, the count glared at her.

There were only five or six members of the Red Hawk Mercenary Corps visible here.

No matter how strong he was, subduing them all at once would be difficult. His gaze slowly settled on Karina, who stood calmly at the front of the mercenaries.

Judging by the way that child stood before them, she might be someone important.

Watching the count clearly scheming, Karina snorted.

He probably didn’t even consider her existence a threat.

[Leader, it’s dangerous. I’ll step in.]
Largo’s voice transmission reached her.

[If you do, you’ll die.]

She had no intention of letting someone else steal the credit for capturing Count Frederick.

Frederick adjusted his grip on his sword.

At the same time, the mercenaries tensed and drew their blades.

Even though he was on the run, Count Frederick was still one of the empire’s top ten strongest individuals. Individually, none of them could defeat him.

Just as they tightened the encirclement around him, the count—who had been crouching like a beast holding its breath—suddenly shot toward Karina.

As the mercenaries hurriedly turned in shock, Karina calmly drew a sword from Largo’s waist, as if she had expected this all along.

The count, who had planned to subdue her in an instant and take her hostage, froze in surprise when she suddenly drew a blade.

But thinking it was nothing more than a child’s reckless bravado, he swung his sword down at her without hesitation.

He intended to knock the sword from her hand.

In that instant, Karina’s figure vanished from before his eyes.

W-Where did she—?!

As the count’s eyes widened in shock, a flash of light burst right in front of him.

Black Spirit Flying Demon Sword

First Form
Black Moon Night (黑月夜) – Slash

It was a martial technique she had used when she was Black Heaven Flying Swallow.

Like moonlight reflecting off the surface of a lake, a fleeting flash appeared—
and blood erupted from the count’s wrist.

Clang—!

Having underestimated her as a mere child, the count dropped his sword and clutched his wrist.

“Kgh—!”

Karina lowered the blood-stained blade and looked down at him indifferently.

If the count hadn’t dismissed her as a child, he wouldn’t have been defeated so easily.

Even then, her current ability wasn’t even one-tenth of her former strength.

Largo seemed to sense that as well and muttered mockingly from behind her.

[Leader, your skills have really dulled.]

[Shut up, will you?]

The mercenaries, unaware of her true power, could only stare at her in stunned silence.

For an eleven-year-old girl, her movements had been far too fast for their eyes to follow.

Karina handed the sword back to Largo and frowned in dissatisfaction.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to arrest the count?”

Only then did the mercenaries snap out of it and surround the fallen count, who was clutching his wrist.

“Ghh…!”

With his tendons severed, the count was helplessly captured.

Not long after, Xavier appeared, leading the remaining mercenaries.

After confirming that the count had been bound, Xavier looked at Karina with clear admiration.

Karina glared back at him, growling like a beast guarding its prey.

“I caught the count, so don’t even think about taking credit.”

At her warning, Xavier let out a short, amused chuckle.

“Suit yourself.”

With that, he issued orders to his men and turned away.

“Transport the bound count directly to the duke’s estate.”

The mercenaries escorting Frederick filed out in a rush.

[Leader, we’ll see you at the duke’s estate.]

Largo, a mere foot soldier, hurriedly followed them.

Watching him leave with an exasperated look, Karina slowly lowered her gaze to her own hands.

It was the first time she had used a martial technique since cultivating inner energy here.

Compared to its former power, it was laughably weak and full of flaws.
If she had fought Count Frederick head-on, she wouldn’t have lasted three exchanges before losing.

I still have a long way to go.

Just as she frowned in dissatisfaction, she sensed movement.

Her expression stiffened as she immediately raised her perception and scanned her surroundings.

Someone was inside the dungeon.

Peeking inside, she saw Isaac, Denian, and Felix—bound by restraints on their arms and legs.

“Mmm! Mmm!”

Felix, gagged, looked at her with desperate eyes.
It seemed they had been captured by the count and imprisoned underground.

Her gaze shifted to Denian. He looked badly beaten, barely intact.

But something felt off.

Frowning, Karina examined Denian more closely.

His qi and blood were twisted.

Why?

At that moment, Felix desperately muffled another sound.

“Mmm! Mmm!”

Annoyed by his attempt to speak, Karina removed his gag.

“P-Please, let us go, Karina.”

She glanced around the dungeon with an indifferent expression.

Only Isaac, Denian, and Felix were present.

“Where’s Adolf?”

“That bastard ran off like a rat while we were being captured.”

Typical Adolf.

“S-Surely you’re not going to leave us here, right?”

“And why should I free you?”

At Karina’s calm yet sinister smile, cold sweat broke out on Felix’s face.

“D-Denian’s close to you, right? If you’re freeing him anyway, you could free us too…”

“Who knows.”

At her indifferent reply, Denian himself remained calm, but Felix looked horrified.

“Th-The test is over, right? Team Two won. So please—”

“So you’re admitting defeat?”

“Y-Yes. We lost.”

Karina removed Isaac’s gag.

“And you?”

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Isaac spat out blood-tinged saliva before looking straight at her.

“I admit defeat.”

Just this once.

Swallowing the rest of his words, Isaac turned his head away.

Looking down at him as if amused, Karina gathered her inner energy and shattered the restraints.

It seemed the restraints prevented them from using their abilities.

As the chains fell away, Felix, Isaac, and Denian staggered to their feet.

Watching them indifferently, Karina’s gaze drifted toward the opposite cell.

The one where the ash-colored puppy had been.

Well, that’s none of my business.

She turned to leave the dungeon—

Then suddenly stopped.

“Haaah…”

Scratching her head irritably, Karina turned back toward the cell where the puppy had been held.

Damn it. She hated troublesome things.
Why did she suddenly remember the puppy she’d picked up during her childhood in the Demonic Cult?

Back then, moved by pity, she had rescued a starving puppy—
only for it to be brutally killed by rivals who despised her.

Was that guilt still lingering?
Even though she had once been the cult leader, Black Heaven Flying Swallow?

Irritably ruffling her hair, Karina stood in front of the cell.

Well, freeing it wouldn’t be that hard.

After rationalizing it to herself, she shattered the lock with her internal energy.

As the door opened, the small puppy bared its teeth, tense and wary.

Grrrr—

“If you don’t behave, I won’t free you.”

At her warning, the puppy seemed to understand and hid its teeth, though its guarded eyes still gleamed sharply.

For a puppy, that’s quite a gaze.

Thinking that, Karina broke the restraint around the puppy’s neck.

The puppy’s blue eyes stared straight up at her.

“What are you staring at? I freed you, so go wherever you want.”

Despite her annoyed words, the ash-colored puppy simply stayed there, staring at her.