"I accept the request."
The Doberman beastman with sharp ears left the elders with an overbearing attitude and exited the residence.
The bulky henchmen on either side followed their leader in silence.
Moments later, the rest of the waiting gang members outside moved in perfect synchronization, following their boss.
To the Elf Elders, this was no longer a surprising sight.
The world of criminals was, if nothing else, strict when it came to hierarchy.
"Elder Chief."
"Speak."
"I believe this moment is of utmost importance for our future. Of course, what happened before was significant as well, but..."
"I am well aware of the anxieties the elders harbor and the points you wish to raise. I also understand that, in our haste to flee Tigrova, we left many vulnerabilities in our actions."
"...Understood."
The Elder Chief adjusted his cane with his wrinkled hands.
Before addressing the elder, he cast a glance at Shion's locked room, then turned his gaze away.
"With this at stake, they should prove far more useful than the last group."
The Elder Chief fiddled with the black coin he had been granted by Him.
A small, round metal object no larger than the palm of his hand.
This single coin acted as both a leash for those mad criminals and a symbol of greed.
‘With this coin alone, they must’ve felt there was no need to return to their homeland. That’s why they raided the firearms stores and committed those murders.’
The Elder Chief understood the gang’s actions as easily as he held the coin.
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Their senseless rampage was likely both their form of preparation and their ritual.
"Let’s continue this discussion in the meeting room."
"Yes."
With the criminals boasting and departing, there was no longer any need to keep watch outside.
The Elder Chief moved with his ornate cane, its tap-tap echoing as he walked. The other elders followed behind him.
"And how is the princess?"
"Her resistance grows stronger by the day. Recently, she has refused to eat or drink anything. It seems she has no intention of speaking until we give her answers."
"Tsk, tsk... Even with magic, hunger and thirst are not so easily overcome."
"What should we do?"
"There’s no need to do anything. Leave her be; an opportunity to break her stubbornness will come."
As expected of a Testarossa. She won’t surrender until the very brink of death.
They had tried to tame her since she was a child, yet she still refused to fully submit.
‘Weapons are not meant to have thoughts of their own...’
The Elder Chief knew from experience that weapons with a will of their own were nothing but a headache.
Shion lay motionless on her bed. The cold seeped through, stabbing into her back.
No matter how many locks the elders placed on the door, she could break it down with brute force if she wanted to. But that was merely a possibility, nothing more.
Those locks were a symbol—a mark of severance.
So Shion lay still, staring at the dark ceiling.
‘Calling the discovery of my outing unfortunate would be wrong. Surviving the Monolith was fortunate.’
The day she returned from that strange space with Rohan and Clara.
The problems began after she left Academy City.
When she went back to retrieve her hidden sniper rifle and tracker, two elders were waiting for her.
Even now, just thinking back to that moment sent chills down her entire body.
The Shion of the past might have admitted her wrongdoing right there.
But that day, she didn’t back down from the scolding elders.
For the first time, she had a fierce argument with them.
She demanded answers about the issues they kept avoiding, unleashing her pent-up frustration.
And that led to her current situation.
Even so, Shion had no intention of backing down. Her heart pounded in her chest from her first act of defiance, but she held firm.
She would either get clear answers to her questions or create an opportunity to resolve her doubts.
The elders needed her for reasons she didn’t fully understand yet.
She had realized that, if she pushed things to the limit, she would ultimately come out on top.
‘I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. My head hurts.’
In the past, such conditions would have shattered her mental state.
But surprisingly, she wasn’t depressed. That made it bearable.
‘I want to eat the combat rations Rohan gave me...’
The days she had spent with Rohan and Clara in that unknown space...
Those were the memories keeping Shion going now.
Sure, her heart had nearly stopped when Rohan got hurt. And when his arm was severed protecting her, her mind had gone completely blank.
But the moments they shared under that hellish heat—the battles they fought, the meals they ate together, and the small, idle chats—those memories filled her with warmth.
Even replaying their casual conversations in her mind kept the gloom at bay.
She rolled over on the bed, lost in those memories.
‘Come to think of it... Rohan said he was planning to work with Clara, didn’t he?’
It was something he had mentioned in passing, still in its conceptual phase.
The thought made Shion recall a promise she had made to Rohan in their dormitory.
If he uncovered the hidden truths and granted her the freedom she sought, she would lend her hand at least once to hunt down criminals or monsters.
─ I won’t do anything shady like massacring innocent civilians. Just help me catch criminals or monsters.
‘If they still need me...’
When everything Rohan spoke of was over and she had her freedom, would it be okay to ask to join his plans and change their promise a little?
“Heh.”
A faint, satisfied laugh escaped her lips, chasing away the cold.
Because if the three of them stayed together, every day would surely be fun.
A new hope was born in the heart of the elven girl.
***
Rohan and Clara stood atop a tunnel swallowing a two-lane road.
This was, without a doubt, the farthest Rohan had ventured since falling into Academy City's Elysium.
‘Wow, I ran like crazy. Clara doesn’t even look out of breath, though...’
Maybe pushing the pace was a mistake. Rohan’s mouth felt dry.
If it weren’t for his daily morning stamina training, he might’ve collapsed in a disgraceful heap.
‘I didn’t see any cars pass by on the way here. That means those bastards aren’t here yet.’
Scanning his surroundings, Rohan confirmed they had time to spare thanks to their fast pace.
Catching his breath, he looked ahead and spoke.
“The night breeze isn’t as cold as it used to be. It feels like April now.”
“Yeah! It definitely feels warmer.”
“Clara, is this kind of temperature your favorite?”
“Hmm... I like the afternoons better, but the nights are still a bit chilly.”
The area around them was wide open, letting strong gusts of wind blow through.
Rohan undid the harness connected to his sword sheath and shrugged off his jacket, leaving only his shirt. He slung the harness back across his chest diagonally.
‘It was getting hot from all that running anyway.’
He tossed his jacket onto Clara’s bare legs.
Clara, who had taken the jacket, seemed pleased with its warmth. She tilted her head from side to side as she sat on the tunnel edge, then decided to put it on over her own clothes.
“Wearing my jacket won’t get in the way of drawing your weapon, will it?”
“Nope! I’ll be careful not to tear it!”
“Don’t worry about that. Clothes can get torn. I’ve got spares at the dorm.”
It was the new cadet uniform he’d gotten after returning from the dungeon.
Thanks to the academy’s support, he had two extra sets as backups.
“This place is really quiet, just like you said,” Clara remarked.
“Right?”
Her curious eyes darted around, marveling at the eerie stillness.
The only buildings nearby were an abandoned rest stop with its shutters down and a gas station completely out of fuel.
No cars passed by, no sounds of engines in the distance.
It felt like some unknown force had cleared the area specifically for their quest.
But that wasn’t the case. This was normal here.
“How did you know about this road, oppa?”
“This road is famous for being deserted.”
“Famous for being deserted? What does that even mean...?”
“Simply put, it’s a road that car or motorcycle clubs use for racing.”
“Oh...! Got it!”
Rohan sat down beside Clara, continuing his explanation.
The main reason the road became a popular racing spot was that it led nowhere.
At the end of this road lay a small ruin where Shion currently resided, a site connected to an area where dimensional rifts had once opened repeatedly.
Even if the area was restored, its location was too inconvenient to be of any use.
As a result, it always ranked low on the priority list for expensive restoration projects, making it an ideal hideout for suspicious individuals.
“So Shion-unnie is staying in a place like that...”
“Yeah. Shion told me to explain everything to you, so I’ll fill you in on the details as we go.”
“Okay!”
According to his memory, the Public Security Bureau’s alert today would also keep the car and motorcycle clubs quiet.
Unlike his previous life, where warnings were often ignored, people here rarely risked their lives for hobbies in remote areas.
In this world, carelessness could easily cost you your life, so most people avoided unnecessary danger.
As Rohan and Clara continued their conversation atop the quiet tunnel, headlights appeared in the distance.
A vehicle rounded a curve, its beams flashing.
Rohan jumped to his feet.
Vroooom!
There were eight vehicles in total, taking up both lanes as they approached.
The criminals sped toward them as if reckless driving were a mandatory skill.
Rohan found satisfaction in this.
In this situation, there was no chance the cars would stop after spotting him and Clara.
If they tried, the cars behind them would inevitably crash into them.
‘That works out just fine.’
The two lead cars seemed to be racing each other, flooring it without a care.
As expected, these guys were all for show. They lacked even basic escort tactics.
‘The bastard I’m after is in the third row—the black luxury sedan.’
Rohan’s eyes locked onto the Doberman’s car.
Vrooom! Screeech!
One of the leading cars spotted Rohan standing atop the tunnel. It couldn’t brake suddenly but slowed down to a crawl.
Seeing this perfect setup, Rohan rolled his shoulders.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
“Oppa, be careful...”
Clara’s face was full of worry.
Rohan gently patted her head.
“I’ll be back soon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he drew his sword from his back with a sharp shing.
Then, Rohan leapt straight down onto the oncoming cars.