…Self-sacrifice.

    『Margrave’s response when asked by a reporter, ‘What distinguishes a bastard with power from a hero?’』

    * * *

    Seated atop the airport control tower, out of the reporters’ sight, Corvus was glaring down at the Dungan Heavy Industries plane with eyes full of discontent.

    It had already been two hours since her apprentice entered the plane.

    She had no idea what was happening inside, but it was long enough to prove that the rumors of his connections with the Dwarven tycoons were true.

    “….”

    Should she call it annoyance due to the wealth gap or a Beastfolk’s jealousy towards the Dwarves who had managed to adapt to modern Earth?

    Given Yeomyeong’s personality, he probably wasn’t partying it up in there, but Corvus couldn’t help but feel irritable.

    She kicked at the foolish birds approaching her as if they were friends or pecked at the control tower ceiling to pass the time.

    Suddenly, she heard a commotion from among the reporters.

    Turning her gaze, she saw the Saintess, wearing a pure white blindfold, crossing the airport and heading toward the Dwarven plane.

    Having seemingly shaken off her fear of reporters, the Saintess walked through the crowd of cameras and entered the plane confidently.

    After another ten minutes went by, the airplane door opened, and only Yeomyeong stepped out.

    Corvus tilted her head and observed him closely. She noticed a white scabbard she hadn’t seen when he entered hanging at Yeomyeong’s waist.

    It was undoubtedly the scabbard the Dwarves had given him.

    And soon, the reporters finally noticed Yeomyeong and stood up from their seats. But instead of heading for the airport lobby, Yeomyeong turned toward the runway and leaped over the fence effortlessly. ??N??ěs

    Corvus spread her wings and flew toward her apprentice. After a short glide, she landed softly beside him.

    As soon as her apprentice noticed her presence, he lowered his head slightly, and she blurted out the question she had been holding back all this while.

    “Apprentice, what were you doing on that airplane for so long?”

    Despite the abruptness of the question, Yeomyeong replied without looking bewildered, tapping the scabbard at his waist.

    “I received a sword.”

    “A sword? Did those stingy little guys force it on you?”

    Yeomyeong smiled wryly upon hearing a racially insensitive remark.

    “It was a gift… because of some connections we formed in Manchuria.”

    “Hmmm…”

    A free gift? What on earth could those stingy Dwarves possibly have given him?

    Corvus interpreted her apprentice’s awkward smile as embarrassment.

    Being a considerate teacher, she changed the topic.

    “Apprentice, about the thing you mentioned yesterday…”

    “Yes?”

    “…About the person who feels like a Beastfolk even though they look human.”

    As soon as she uttered those words, Yeomyeong’s eyes sharpened slightly.

    “Did you find them already?”

    It hadn’t even been a day since Yeomyeong had informed her… Corvus nodded.

    “I did. As you said, once I started looking for someone who felt like a Beastfolk, I noticed the difference rather quickly.”

    “Where did you find…?”

    Before Yeomyeong could even finish his question, Corvus shifted her gaze toward the far end of the runway, focusing on a street sweeper cleaning the street outside the airport.

    “Huh… that guy…?”

    Coincidentally, the street sweeper’s eyes met Yeomyeong’s.

    In that brief silence and awkward exchange of glances, Yeomyeong immediately realized that the sweeper’s sweeping motion looked unnatural, and almost simultaneously, the sweeper also realized that Corvus had identified him as a Beastfolk.

    “…He was definitely a sewer cleaner this morning.”

    With Corvus’ comment as a signal, Yeomyeong kicked off the ground using his Flying Kick technique. Tossing his broom to the side, the fake sweeper also sprinted toward the street.

    Yeomyeong instinctively formed an ice spike and hurled it at him. The spear streaked through the air like a bullet.

    Sunlight reflected off the ice as the target tumbled across the ground.

    A cry more beast-like than human resounded.

    The Beastfolk clutched his side pierced by the ice spike, quickly standing up and wrenching open the closest manhole cover.

    While Yeomyeong frowned, Corvus unleashed a dozen or so ice spikes that rained down on the fleeing figure.

    A couple of the ice spikes struck his body, but he barely managed to dive into the sewer t in time.

    Surprised at the sudden use of magic in broad daylight, a few passersby screamed and quickly distanced themselves. Ignoring the surrounding chaos, Yeomyeong and Corvus immediately jumped into the sewer.

    The sewer was suffocatingly dark, but as Corvus and Yeomyeong were already superhumans who had surpassed a certain level, the limited vision was not an issue.

    “The smell of blood! This way!”

    Following the stench of blood amidst the foul sewer odor, they quickly pursued their target.

    Their footsteps echoed in the damp, disgusting air.

    Though the scent of blood seemed within reach, they struggled to close the distance between them and the man.

    “…This bastard knows his way around.”

    Corvus flapped her wings, frowning, while Yeomyeong remained calm.

    No matter how vast the sewer system was, at the end of the day, Lord Howe was still an island. And no matter where the man fled, he would still be trapped in the sewers.

    Or so Yeomyeong thought.

    However, upon reaching a large, twisted, mana-filled open area deep within the sewer, Yeomyeong’s instincts began screaming at him that something was terribly wrong.

    A massive altar made of stones and corpses, human skins filling the area around it, and atop it was the Skinwalker Priest looking down at the two of them as if they were sacrifices for a human offering.

    “… You… accursed… escort of the Saintess… and my dirty kin…”

    “Kin? Is there any kinship between those with fur and those with feathers? Enough nonsense, surrender.”

    Corvus, speaking with disdain, conjured several ice spikes.

    Dozens of icy shards surrounded the altar, but instead of feeling fear, the Priest grinned menacingly.

    “You’ve already lost.”

    As he uttered those words, the Priest pulled out a massive, black gemstone.

    “A corruption stone?!”

    Recognizing the object, Corvus immediately launched the ice spikes.

    However, just before the spikes could impale him, the Priest crushed the black stone.

    “Apprentice! Get down…!”

    The stone shattered, and just as Corvus’ talons reached for Yeomyeong’s shoulder—

    Yeomyeong’s world was swallowed by darkness.

    * * *

    The atmosphere shifted.

    From Lord Howe Academy in Sydney, Australia, all the way to the distant underground of the National Assembly building in South Korea.

    Anyone capable of sensing the distorted mana could feel the anomaly and turned their gazes towards the northern island of Lord Howe Academy.

    * * *

    “Darulma, I won’t ask for much. Just give me the same treatment as Yeomyeong, okay?”

    As she walked past the display cases, Darulma broke out in a cold sweat at that single comment from Saintess.

    “B-but Saintess… Yeomyeong-gun and I made a separate deal….”

    “Ah, I don’t care about that. I just need a hammer, okay?”

    At her words that were nothing short of coercion—no, robbery—Darulma shut his eyes tight.

    It was already shocking to see the Saintess arrive unannounced, but she was suddenly demanding weapons?

    And to make matters worse, Yeomyeong, who was supposed to help persuade the Saintess, grabbed his weapon and fled, leaving Darulma in a dire predicament.

    “Saintess, please don’t do this… How about the latest assault rifle we brought over this time? It comes with grenades, extra magazines, and…”

    “Really? Okay, give me that as well.”

    “…Pardon?”

    “Oh, this pistol looks pretty neat.”

    The Saintess took a pistol from the display case and inspected it from various angles. Even though the top-tier weapon, meticulously infused with mana by the artisan himself, was being used right before his eyes, Darulma couldn’t bring himself to stop her.

    While his other kin might do that, he was a devout follower of the Five Gods.

    As an entrepreneur, his instincts were desperately restraining him from giving anything away for free, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to withstand the high and noble Saintess’ relentless demands for long.

    After all, she was the Saintess. Surely, she had some greater purpose in mind—

    As Darulma was wrestling with these thoughts, the Saintess’ expression suddenly hardened.

    “…Saintess?”

    Even though Darulma called out to her, the Saintess began sweeping the weapons on display into a pile.

    Not only the pistol she had been holding just moments ago, but also various guns, ammunition, and even prototype explosives.

    She stacked the weapons into a mountain on the plane’s floor, then, after a brief moment of hesitation, she even grabbed the massive hammer designed for dwarves from the display.

    Darulma couldn’t even think of stopping that abrupt action. It was because the Saintess’ expression looked far too grave.

    “Uh… Saintess? What’s going on?”

    Once the whirlwind of chaos had somewhat passed, Darulma tried to cautiously ask her what was happening.

    “Darulma, I’m sorry, but just bill everything to the Holy Nation ….”

    And before she could even finish her sentence, the Saintess suddenly vanished into the darkness. Sёar?h the n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    * * *

    After Soe Miri, who began behaving strangely, left the dormitory room, the four sisters, once called sacrificial lambs, gathered in one place.

    “Unnie.”

    The first to speak was Neti, her husky voice cutting through the silence.

    “So, how far have you gone with Yeomyeong-oppa?”

    “…What?”

    Seti, who had been organizing some documents, had a frown on her face as she turned to see her younger sister sprawled on the bed.

    Underneath her hastily styled short blue hair, the girl had striking, decadent eyes.

    Whether it was her slightly rebellious look or the leather jacket that violated the dress code, she gave off a delinquent vibe.

    “Oh, you’re pretending you didn’t hear me? Then let me repeat it. On the day the ban was lifted, how far did you go with Yeomyeong-oppa?”

    Seti couldn’t help but massage her forehead as she watched her younger sister’s meaningful smile, letting out a sigh, just like Yeomyeong did every now and then.

    She had actually gathered her sisters to explain their plans moving forward.

    She intended to set the story about the brainwashed shepherd straight and decide which country they would escape to…

    But her younger sister decided to start off with something like this after she came to find her…

    “…My dear sister, are you curious about something like that all of a sudden?”

    “Well, I was just wondering if I’m going to get a brother-in-law soon.”

    “B-brother-in-law?”

    “Unnie, after everything the two of you did in public, you’re not going to pretend you’re just friends, are you? Don’t lie to me like that. The two of you are practically glued to each other during class.”

    “No, that’s…”

    “It’s even more suspicious when you two always go somewhere else during meal times, you know? The ones with their heads in the clouds are already spreading rumors that you two are in of relationship.”

    Seti bit her lip hard, and Neti let out a smirk at the sight.

    “The others may not know much about you, Unnie, but us sisters know everything. Ever since that day, you’ve been touching your lips constantly.”

    “…”

    “And it’s not like you’re some shoujo manga heroine… Siri over there feels like throwing up every time she catches you doing that.”

    Siri, sitting behind them, mumbled, ‘You crazy bitch, when did I ever do that?’ But if she truly felt wronged, she stayed silent at Neti’s words.

    As if proving this, the smile on Siri’s face mirrored Neti’s as she looked at Seti.

    Seti pressed her forehead and took a deep breath. These girls were really getting under her skin.

    “…There’s nothing like that going on, so let’s just drop this topic, okay?”

    She gave them a final ultimatum, but her younger sister didn’t let up.

    “The more you try to change the subject, the more suspicious it seems! Unnie, no way… did you two already do ?”

    Neti formed a circle with her left thumb and index finger, then slipped her right index finger in and out of it.

    She continued to do so until Seti’s patience wore thin.

    Seeing the blatant gesture, Siri covered their youngest sibling’s eyes and quickly turned her own head away.

    “You…!”

    Seti stood up, her face flushed like an apple. Her tightly clenched fist and stride were far from casual.

    “Unnie, wait, you’re not actually going to hit me, are you—?”

    Struck by the emotionally charged fist, Neti fell flat on the bed.

    Tears formed in her eyes, and her forehead throbbed with pain, but a smile still lingered on her lips.

    “Ha, you actually hit your younger sister just for talking about a boy? , of all people, Seti-unnie?”

    Clutching her forehead, she giggled as if she just heard something incredibly funny until tears began streaming down her face.

    Indifferent to how surprised her sisters looked at her sudden burst of laughter, Neti continued to laugh for quite some time.

    As her breaths quickened, she finally spoke with a relieved voice.

    “…, that felt good.”

    “It felt good? What? Do you want me to hit you again?”

    Just as Seti raised her hand again, Neti waved furiously.

    “No, no, not the hitting! I mean… it just feels nice to talk like this, like normal sisters.”

    Talking about a cliché love story.

    It wouldn’t have been surprising if it were cheeky Siri, but Neti? This definitely wasn’t something the girl would have said in the past.

    It couldn’t be helped. Until not long ago, she and her sisters weren’t humans; they were just livestock.

    Livestock that would one day be forced to spread their legs and be bred by the studs brought by the shepherds.

    With a wretched future where not even ordinary love, let alone romance, was permitted, sweet conversations like this had been impossible.

    But now…

    “I can’t believe there’s a day when I’m teasing you about dating a boy and relationship problems. I never thought a day like this would ever arrive, Unnie.”

    “…”

    “This isn’t a dream, right? If it is, I hope I never wake up.”

    Hearing Neti’s heartfelt sentiment, the sisters were rendered speechless.

    In the silence thick with emotion…

    “Neti…”

    Seti slowly opened her mouth while looking at her younger sister. Just as she was about to offer her some comforting, sisterly words…

    “But having a niece or nephew before graduation is off-limits, okay? You know that, right, Unnie?”

    Neti’s remark shattered the moment.

    “Seriously, this bitch is…”

    Seti felt the comforting words on the tip of her tongue vanish instantly and raised her hand.

    However, before she could bring herself to strike…

    “Unnie?”

    As Neti tilted her head in confusion at Seti’s sudden stillness, the four sisters simultaneously sensed something.

    Something nauseating yet familiar.

    At that very moment, as everyone held their breath at the very presence of the energy they thought they would never have to feel again since the ban had been lifted…

    “Everyone, get back! Now…!”

    Seti immediately distanced herself from her sisters.

    They reached out to grab her, but before they could, the darkness swallowed her whole.

    * * *

    Right after Yeomyeong disappeared into the darkness, Soe Miri opened her eyes in the infirmary.

    A faint red gleam swirled within her beautiful eyes.

    “…Comrade Miri? Have you woken up already?”

    Rime, who had been watching over her at the bedside, called out, but Soe Miri said nothing.

    She just stared into the void in complete silence.

    Unable to hold back any longer, Rime grabbed Soe Miri’s hand tightly.

    Should she call it an elf’s intuition? Rime had a terrible feeling that Soe Miri might disappear somewhere.

    “Why are you behaving like this…?”

    “…Comrade Rime.”

    “You have been acting rather strangely after that dream that day. Whose dream did you connect with back then?”

    Instead of answering, Soe Miri lifted her hand and gently stroked Rime’s beautiful silver hair. And in a slow, almost soothing tone, as if comforting a younger sibling, she said.

    “Rime… don’t worry if I get a bit late. There’s no need to contact Father either, okay?”

    “Comrade, what are you talking about…?”

    “I’ll be right back.”

    * * *

    Darkness greeted Yeomyeong as soon as he opened his eyes.

    Fighting against the sudden bout of dizziness, he got up, and the first thing that struck his nose was the foul stench of the sewer.

    The sewer water reached up to his calves and was so cold, that it made him furrow his brows.

    Trying to recall the events leading up to him fainting, Yeomyeong extended his mana to enhance his senses.

    However, there wasn’t much to grasp. Just an eerie silence, the darkness of the sewer, and the twisted mana.

    Was he trapped in some magical space?

    Yeomyeong tried to assess the situation while simultaneously checking his gear.

    The Tear of the Mountain he received from Darulma, the Handle of Uragan tucked in his mini pocket, the Blood Tear Key, the Golden Seal…

    Although the situation was anything but ideal, he was grateful that he at least had a sword.

    He pulled out the Handle of Uragan, thinking of it as a substitute for a flashlight. The handle, made from a unicorn’s horn, emitted a brilliant light that illuminated the sewer.

    [O Vir— I mean, Master. Where are we?]

    [The twisted mana and the stench… It’s as repulsive as the lair of a succubus.]

    As the unicorn’s voice echoed in his head, he wandered through the sewer, but his senses still failed to register anything.

    With that hopeful thought, he thrust his sword into the wall, and the tip of the blade poked out the other side.

    This time, he hurled himself against the wall, but all that happened was his own body bouncing back from the other wall.

    He couldn’t decipher the spell due to the twisted mana filling the sewer.

    Yet, he couldn’t just stand there, so Yeomyeong placed a hand on the sewer wall and began to walk aimlessly.

    After exploring the sewers for a while, Yeomyeong suddenly felt an inexplicable tingling sensation and stopped in his tracks.

    [O Master, what do you mean? All I feel here is disgust.]

    And just as he was about to turn back, a familiar sound pierced through the darkness.

    The unmistakable sound of a revolver being fired, a sound he could never forget.

    Yeomyeong immediately dashed toward the direction of the sound.