FEFR 16

Episode 16

“Damn it!”

Cursing harshly, the man stormed out of the room with his subordinates. He no longer paid any attention to Erna, who was tied up with ropes.

Whether they were fleeing or preparing to retaliate, Erna didn’t care to find out.

Is Lange already here?

She focused all her senses upward.

Her heart pounded fast, fueled by slight worry and much greater joy.

But still…

Erna bit her lower lip lightly.

She had never properly learned what magic felt like, so she didn’t fully understand it.

Still, she could remember the magical surges she’d experienced with Lange.

She’d flown in his arms, and today she had witnessed him performing a dangerous spell. By now, she was confident she could recognize Lange’s magic if he didn’t intentionally conceal it.

Erna raised her chin and looked back up at the ceiling.

Too many footsteps…

The noise soon died down.

The presence beyond the door grew clearer, and with no way to escape, Erna only flinched her bound hands.

Then, the door was violently torn off.

A green-eyed woman with bright blonde hair entered the room.

“…Who are you?”

Erna widened her eyes at the familiar features.

Though there were many subtle differences, the woman undeniably resembled Lange.

Since the woman looked older, it was more accurate to say that Lange resembled her.

Caught off guard by the woman’s sudden appearance, Erna was too stunned to react.

Moreover, the woman didn’t look like the type to storm a criminal hideout.

The woman, just as surprised, stared back, momentarily frozen like Erna.

“A child, here…?”

Erna didn’t know why she’d been captured.

The men had insulted Kalisa, so Erna assumed she was somehow connected, but the details were unclear.

Fortunately, the woman didn’t press her for answers. Instead, she signaled her people to untie Erna and offered her hand.

“You must’ve been frightened. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Uh? N-No…”

Erna hesitated for a moment, but she felt no malice from the woman.

When she took the hand and stood up, the woman smiled gently. Her demeanor was a sharp contrast to her fierce entry.

“Let’s get out of here. You don’t look like you’re here willingly.”

And then, she casually answered the question Erna had asked earlier.

“You asked who I was, right? Don’t worry. I’m Petra Simone.”

“Simone…?”

“Yes. The late Count Simone was my father.”

Petra kept smiling.

“As his heir, I’ll make sure no injustice befalls you on this land.”

Lenart stared anxiously at the figure running ahead.

She said she’d be fine because she was brave? Lange was clearly not in normal condition.

Her running was unnatural, her breath heavy. Though he hadn’t checked, her body temperature must still be high.

Kalisa, guiding them, had noticed the same, but there was no time to rest.

Now was their only chance to rescue Erna. Though they’d avoided being taken to the organization’s headquarters, things could change at any moment—and danger was still very real.

The three of them sprinted down alleyways without pause.

Then, as they rounded a corner and the main street came into view, Kalisa abruptly stopped.

A group of men stood across the road.

At this late hour, the only people out were those men and Lange’s group, so it was only natural they locked eyes instantly.

Kalisa and the men screamed simultaneously in recognition.

“Kalisa!”

“It’s them!”

Kalisa turned to Lange.

It was clear these were the same people who had taken Erna. Lange immediately drew her spear.

In an instant, her weapon reformed, its blade gleaming under the moonlight. She began chanting a binding spell to capture them all.

To buy time, Lenart quickly gathered his mana.

“<Night of Lugal!>”

He shortened the incantation and managed to silence three of the enemies—cutting their numbers in half.

But unlike the thug from the clinic who had charged at Kalisa, these men didn’t hesitate to change course.

They dashed into a dark alley—obviously fleeing. Lange’s spell, just completed, was rendered useless.

“What the hell!”

Lange shouted in frustration, but the truth was, it was the men who wanted to scream that.

What’s with that crazy woman?

Lange’s spear was visually shocking. They were used to weapons, sure—guns, tools, or maybe knives—but nothing like that.

A woman wielding an ancient weapon like that in the middle of a modern city? Definitely not normal. Best to stay away.

And then she’d muttered some weird spell—and people collapsed?

The fact that Kalisa was among the pursuers didn’t matter.

The man leading the escape was the group’s commander, but this was no time to show loyalty. What he needed now was speed.

Why the hell did Petra Simone show up? And this time…!

He recalled what had happened just moments ago.

The man who went upstairs had seen Petra’s face as she stormed in with her soldiers. Without hesitation, he used his subordinates as shields and escaped through the window.

The moment she got involved, their orders—to secure the building and find Kalisa—became meaningless.

How had their organization grown this strong in the first place? Through the succession dispute over the Simone title.

Damille had expanded their influence by taking advantage of the power vacuum and allying with one of the count’s heirs—the son of his second wife. Thanks to his support, the organization thrived.

But that favor couldn’t last forever.

Petra, the legitimate daughter of the count, had long avoided intervening in areas like Farrel.

There had been minor clashes, but attacking the harbor—the core of her half-brother’s power base—would spark an all-out war.

He didn’t know why Petra had suddenly attacked, but her presence here could only mean one thing: she had chosen civil war.

Hesitate and we’re all caught in the crossfire!

But even that quick thinking was of little help.

He had just escaped the building—only to run into another group of lunatics.

One was Kalisa, accused of colluding with Inel. The second was a wild girl wielding a spear. The third? A young mage who clearly didn’t belong in these streets.

What the hell is going on today?!

As the man ran, a chilling realization struck him.

Wait a second. That fire earlier today…

Maybe it wasn’t some foreign intervention. Maybe Petra Simone’s attack had begun then.

Wasn’t there a girl like that at the scene?

If she was one of Petra’s subordinates, the pieces fit.

Of course, all of this was baseless speculation—but none of the people involved in the chase had time to clarify the truth. Not yet.

“She’s way too fast…!”

Grumbling as she ran, Lange was doing her best to keep pace.

In the dark, narrow alleys, she could only barely avoid losing sight of her target. Neither she nor Lenart had a chance to focus enough to cast spells.

Not knowing what lay at the end of this chase, they couldn’t afford to use magic carelessly. All they could rely on was physical stamina.

The man, clearly familiar with the layout, darted through turns with no hesitation.

What if we lose him?

Lange felt a growing unease.

But instinct-led speed has a flaw—it brings the runner back to familiar places.

With his attention consumed by those chasing him, the man realized too late where his legs had led him.

He had returned to the very alley from which he had fled.

Realizing it, he screamed silently. His remaining men had fallen behind—there was no backup.

“Why’d he come back here…?”

Before him stood Petra Simone.

Behind him were Kalisa and her allies.

The man gave up—on escaping, and even on thinking. Meanwhile, Lange noticed the girl standing beside Petra.