~Chapter 52~
Because he had been riding all day, Bethes’s face looked more tired than usual—though his gentle smile remained unchanged.
“Yes. It’s been a while.”
“It’s changed a lot over the past few years. Rendias is now the center of trade. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say every merchant passes through here. Especially the night market—it’s said to be the best in the Empire.”
Now that he mentioned it, there were many people here with exotic appearances. Dark skin, hair braided into countless strands, layered clothing dyed in vivid colors—all of it felt foreign and striking.
Bethes continued.
“Even the Bastitas people, who rarely interacted with us before, now come and go through Rendias. The Bastitas jewels you gifted to Her Majesty must have passed through here as well.”
“Oh, right. I guess they did.”
I responded absently and turned my attention back to the view outside the window.
The night roads were filled with torches. Beneath their light, people hurried about as though unaware that the sun had long since set.
This place… smells like money.
Where people gathered, money followed.
And since I had just resolved that I didn’t need men anymore—I’d become rich instead—this was the perfect place to look into a few things. Fate was clearly on my side.
Feeling the pull of destiny that money brought with it, I began to plan.
I only had one night.
I couldn’t afford to waste it.
After dinner, I quietly slipped away and approached the lord of Rendias without Bethes noticing.
“Your Highness, is something the matter?”
“I heard Rendias prides itself on its night market.”
“That’s correct. It’s why we’re also called the City That Never Sleeps.”
“If possible, may I take a look tonight? Ideally… alone.”
“Alone?”
His eyes widened—but he soon nodded. He knew there was nothing to gain by prying.
“I’ll assign you a trustworthy escort.”
Yes. Everything was going exactly according to plan.
A dark mountain road.
Several men on horseback had surrounded a lone rider.
The men wore clothes that might once have been white. As if to intimidate him, they drew dull, nicked swords from their waists and swung them threateningly through the air.
“Hey, young master. Got anything valuable on you? This land is under the protection of the god Carudeus. If you want to pass through, you’ll have to offer the god an appropriate tribute.”
A tall man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.
Etienne knew exactly what kind of people these were.
They tormented travelers by invoking the name of some fabricated god, pretending to be priests in his service.
The Grand Temple had been trying desperately to hunt them down, but since they moved constantly and changed their identities often, eradicating them was difficult.
Like cockroaches, they multiplied endlessly and spread harm wherever they went.
When Etienne remained silent, one of the men laughed, apparently mistaking it for fear.
“Hey, don’t be scared. The god Carudeus watches over those who sacrifice themselves. Don’t be greedy—hand everything over, and the god will grant you the blessing of returning safely.”
“Yeah. And if you’ve got nothing, you can offer your body instead.”
Another man chimed in, drawing snickers from the group.
“Our god likes pretty young girls, sure—but he also likes pale-skinned boys like you. You know. Pure.”
They laughed for a long while.
Etienne, who had been listening quietly, suddenly leapt down from his horse. The men tensed, tightening their grips on their swords.
“A sacrifice…”
His low, resolute voice echoed through the dark night air.
“I wonder if that god would accept filthy creatures like you as offerings.”
The killing intent radiating from Etienne sent chills down a few spines. But one fool spoke up anyway.
“What? Looks like this bastard still doesn’t get the situation. Yeah, just yesterday there was a noblewoman like you, all arrogant and proud. Wonder what happened to her now? Ah—she was offered to the god. Every inch of her. Said it’d been a long time since it was that satisfying.”
The man snickered, grabbing his crotch.
Etienne calmly brushed his hair back. The hood covering his head slipped off naturally.
Under the moonlight, his silver hair—coiling like a serpent—gleamed with an eerie sheen.
He strode toward the man who had been babbling and seized him by the nape of the neck with one hand.
“Ghk—!”
The man’s body lifted limply into the air. The others could only stare, frozen.
There was a dull crack.
His neck snapped like a limp cucumber.
Etienne turned his gaze to the others.
“W-What are you doing?! Attack!”
At the shout, one man lunged at Etienne with his sword.
Etienne twisted his body, dodging the blade aimed straight at him. At the same moment, a blunt sword dug into his left side. Etienne drew his own blade and struck it away with the flat.
In the same motion, he plunged his sword into the attacker’s exposed abdomen—a movement as fluid as a dance.
“Hrk—Aaaagh!”
When Etienne pulled the sword free, blood burst from the man’s stomach. He collapsed, lifeless. It happened in an instant.
Etienne’s eyes gleamed an icy blue.
He paused for a heartbeat—then charged the nearest man.
He moved like a beast, without sound or hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, another head fell.
The remaining men swallowed hard.
This wasn’t winnable.
Realizing that, they rushed Etienne all at once.
Multiple blades flew toward him.
Etienne evaded two and allowed one to carve into his left shoulder.
Blood dripped from the long gash onto the grass—but in that same moment, two men fell. One lost a leg; the other had his heart pierced.
Only five remained.
Etienne’s torn back was already soaked in blood. Yet his face was eerily calm, deathly pale.
The contrast between his gleaming white clothes and hair and the thick stench of blood created a bizarre atmosphere.
That was when it happened.
The sound of hooves echoed from afar. None of the men dared to turn their heads.
Etienne looked down the dark forest path.
Soon, a rider emerged—a weary brown horse, and atop it, a man so large the animal looked pitiful beneath him.
“H-Huff… Etienne-niim…! I finally caught up…!”
Simon’s chest heaved as he struggled to breathe.
Then he clamped a hand over his nose.
“Ugh—what is all this? Why are innocent people—!”
“Carudeus.”
“…Then they had it coming.”
Simon nodded and slid off his horse, collapsing onto the ground.
As the men finally grasped the situation, their faces went pale. One monster had already been too much—and now another, built like a bear, had arrived.
The quickest thinker among them let out a shrill scream and bolted.
“M-Monster!”
As if that were the signal, the others threw down their swords and fled into the forest.
“Seriously, Etienne-nim! You can’t just take off like that! I nearly died trying to follow you! And you didn’t even bring an escort!”
“I don’t need one.”
Etienne watched the forest for a moment. Only after he was sure they were gone did he wipe his blade on a corpse’s clothes.
“Well, maybe you don’t—but I do! You rode off on that great horse and vanished! The forest was dark, and it felt like ghosts or monsters—or bandits—could jump out at any second…”
Simon trailed off, recalling his fear.
“Still, thanks to those fake priests, I managed to catch up. Otherwise I’d have been lost forever—wait. Etienne-nim? Why are you getting back on your horse? I just got off!”
Ignoring him, Etienne pulled his hood back up.
“You’re not leaving right away, are you? I just arrived! Please—can’t we rest a bit? The horse is exhausted—!”
Simon pleaded desperately.
But Etienne was already thinking of Dalia’s smiling face.
No—truthfully, that was all he had been thinking about.
Dalia had left.
At first, he couldn’t believe it.
Then he grew angry.
If this was how it would end, he should have dragged her out that very night.
He should never have left her alone with Bethes.
Never again.
Never again would he allow her to leave his side—no matter what it took.
Etienne tightened his grip on the reins. The black horse stamped the ground and surged forward.
“Etienne-nim! Stop! Let’s go together! I’m scared! Hey! Hey, Etienne! You bastard!”
Simon’s voice faded into the distance behind him.
“I’ll watch from a distance from here. If you sense danger, blow this whistle. Rendias has relatively good security—so as long as you avoid secluded areas, you should be safe.”
The sturdy escort spoke.
He was right. Walking around with an escort was practically advertising that I was loaded. I tucked the whistle into my inner pocket.
The lord of Rendias had kindly helped me slip out quietly—and even provided an escort.
As I drew closer to the night market, loud music filled the air.
I pulled my beige hood down low and checked the two pouches hidden inside my belt once more.
One held candy.
The other held the silver coins Etienne had once given me.
“Will this be enough to buy everything I need? Maybe I should’ve asked the lord for some money. But that’d be awkward. It’s not like I’m shaking him down.”
Giggling to myself, I fidgeted with the pouches.
And then—
The moment I turned the corner of the alley—
“Wow…”
