Chapter 87 : An Unexpected Ally

The girl with bright green hair, braided into twin tails, came running toward me with a massive green serpent of mist at her side.

“Devil! I’m here! I didn’t die! Now we’re friends, right? We’ll have a tea party together, yes?”

“That crazy bitch!”

Recognizing her, the Heavenly Demon let out a strange laugh.

[Oh… an old acquaintance. How delightful.]

“Delightful, my ass!”

Ssshhh!

The serpent-shaped poison fog surged forward at terrifying speed.

Enemies caught in its path let out horrible, rattling groans as they collapsed. Some bled from their eyes and noses.

Even if I could withstand it, the knights and horses behind me surely couldn’t. And truthfully, there was no guarantee I would remain unharmed either.

The giant green serpent was closing fast.

My mind spun in frantic thought.

‘What do I do?’

The Heavenly Demon offered counsel.

[Did I not tell you? When a technique deepens, it also broadens.]

“What?”

[Martial arts can be used in endless ways. It’s all a matter of how you wield them.]

At those words, a spark of realization blazed in my mind.

I swiftly sorted through the martial arts I had at my disposal.

What rose to the surface was Floating Step—the Art of the Wind.

Though primarily a lightfoot technique, it had other applications.

I gathered the winds swirling around my body into a single point.

Whoooom—!

A storm churned within my palm.

Just as the green serpent split through the sea of soldiers and rushed toward me, I unleashed a palm strike infused with the focused gale.

“Haaaah!”

Whssshhh!

The tempest roared out from my hand.

“Uwaaaah!”

Linda, who had been charging straight at me, was flung away like a paper doll. The massive green serpent scattered under the force of the wind.

The path ahead lay clear.

I shouted, “Sir Curtis! This way!”

“Yes!”

Curtis struck down one of the knights blocking him and swerved toward me.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Another knight lunged at him, but Walpole came from behind and cut the man’s throat.

The enemy hadn’t expected us to break through so quickly. From within their ranks, someone screamed in panic.

“B-block them!”

Thunderrrr—

We charged straight through the open path.

Soldiers thrust their spears at us from both sides, as if the parted sea was rushing to close again.

I leapt ahead, running on lightfoot, and spotted Linda tumbling through the air from where my wind had blown her.

“Heeheehee! That was fun! So fun! Devil! Do it again, throw me again!”

“For fuck’s sake…”

I kicked off the ground, vaulted up, and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck before she hit the ground.

Thankfully, she was light.

Dangling in one hand, I carried her as I ran.

“Hehehehehe!”

She giggled uncontrollably, as though swinging from my grip was the most amusing thing in the world.

“Eeehee! Heeheehee!”

“Would you shut up? This isn’t the time to laugh.”

“Heehee… oh, sorry.”

Linda quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.

I slipped through the collapsing “sea” of spears, then glanced back.

The knights were hacking and deflecting desperately as the walls of spears closed in on them.

“Faster!”

I unleashed blazing sword aura along both sides of the narrowing passage.

The pressure slowed, just enough for the knights to break through before the path sealed completely.

But it wasn’t over.

The closed ranks surged after us like floodwaters.

“Catch them!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

At a glance, their number easily exceeded a hundred.

“Devil!”

I slowed slightly, then leapt onto Thunder’s back.

Shushruta was sitting behind me.

“Move over!” I barked.

“What?”

“Go sit behind Walpole!”

She glanced at Linda dangling from my hand and scowled.

“Why should I?! This is my seat!”

“Not the time for this! Move!”

“…Tch.”

She shot Linda one last glare, then reluctantly hopped to Walpole’s horse.

I set Linda behind me and spurred Thunder forward.

“Hey, Devil!” Linda tapped me on the back.

“What now?”

“Those scary people behind us… it’s bad if they catch us, right?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

“So it’s bad?”

“Of course it’s bad! Really fucking bad!”

“Okay, got it!”

Got what?

Before I could ask, she hurled something behind us.

A violet haze billowed out, sinking to the ground like a descending storm cloud.

Crash! Thud! Screams tore through the chaos as men toppled and horses shrieked.

“My eyes! Aaagh!”

“Help! Somebody help!”

“Grrrk!”

Pandemonum.

Linda grinned innocently.

“Devil! I don’t think they’ll be chasing us anymore!”

“…Yeah.”

Leaving the carnage behind, we rode hard.

Fortunately, we reached our destination before sunset.

“So this is Mist Lake?”

“Yes. One look should tell you.”

Before us stretched a vast body of water, shrouded in dense fog so thick it might as well have been a sea.

I frowned and waved my hand through the air.

“What’s with all this damn fog…”

Only the lapping of waves reached my ears. Visibility was near zero.

The air was cooler too, a chill crawling over my skin.

Foggy Cliff before, now Mist Lake.

I couldn’t help but wonder if fog was just part of my cursed fate.

[It’s perfect for concealment.]

“That much is true.”

There was still plenty of time before nightfall.

I searched for a boat but found nothing. Instead, I crouched by the water where the horses drank, dipped my hand in, and splashed some on my face. It was ice-cold.

“Can’t we cross right now?” I asked.

“No. Hans said we must take a skiff, and those can only be summoned at night.”

“…Guess we wait then. Let’s rest until then.”

I was just about to flop down on the ground when—

“Lord Ashuban.”

Walpole called out to me.

“What is it?”

“That one…”

“Oh.”

I had nearly forgotten about our… unexpected companion.

Turning, I saw all four of them staring hard at Linda, who sat at my side splashing water with her hands like a child.

“Heehee.”

She looked carefree, utterly oblivious.

“Devil! The water’s cold!”

“…Yeah.”

Her innocence was almost childlike.

I stood and gave a perfunctory introduction.

They likely already knew, but still.

“This is Mad Linda. A master of poison. Sir Curtis… you’ve met her before.”

“…Yes. Indeed.”

Curtis smiled faintly, though it was a bitter smile.

Walpole and Schneider already had their hands on their sword hilts, eyes sharp.

Walpole, his voice tense, asked while glaring at Linda:

“Why is that fiend here?”

Schneider’s eyes were sharp as blades, drilling into the back of Linda’s head.

But Linda couldn’t have cared less.

“Heeheehee.”

Splash, splash.

“……”

I looked at her for a moment before offering an explanation.

“Well… it’s complicated. But I fought her once. Thought she died when she fell off a cliff.”

Walpole stared at Linda as she slapped the water with her hands.

“She looks perfectly alive to me.”

“Yeah. How the hell did she survive?”

I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. She really did have a life tougher than iron.

Schneider pressed further.

“Even if that’s the case, how did she find us here? It seems clear she came specifically for you, Lord Ashuban.”

“Exactly.”

I sighed and turned toward the girl happily splashing beside me.

“Hey. Did you come looking for me?”

“Yep!”

“How did you even know I’d be here?”

“I didn’t! I just felt like I’d meet you if I came this way!”

…Well, that tracked.

She’d said the same thing before—just a feeling.

There are people in this world who defy reason altogether. Linda was one of them.

And so was that damn thieving cat glaring at her right now.

“Hmmm…”

I crossed my arms, lost in thought.

I had promised her that if she survived, I’d be her friend. That made killing her now… awkward.

On top of that, we’d managed to escape the enemy so easily thanks to her poison fog. Without her, one or more of the knights would likely have died—or at least suffered serious injury.

And honestly… my heart wasn’t in it.

“Heehee. Devil, look! Splash, splash!”

She laughed like a child at play.

It’s true what they say—you can’t spit on a smiling face. Even my killing intent was fading away.

I turned to Curtis.

“Sir Curtis. What do you think? You know her better than anyone here.”

The knights also looked to him.

Curtis hesitated, then answered.

“Lady Linda—”

“Drop the ‘Lady.’ You're not a slave anymore.”

“…You’re right.”

Curtis lowered his gaze briefly, then gave a small nod.

“Linda has always wandered in search of friends to have tea parties with. That is her only goal.”

“Anyone ever survive?”

Curtis shook his head.

“No one. You alone survived her tea party, Devil.”

“…!”

Walpole and Schneider both widened their eyes and turned toward me.

Walpole asked, “Lord Ashuban… you actually drank her poison?”

So Linda’s infamous tea parties were well-known.

I gave a vague answer. “It was… a bit bitter.”

Curtis continued.

“She has simply come to find the very first friend she’s ever made. That’s all.”

“No hidden agenda?”

“Linda is like a child. She hides nothing. She says what comes to mind and does as she pleases. That is why she sometimes feels all the more terrifying. But look at her now—she hasn’t given us a glance, only circling around you, Devil.”

Pure madness.

That was the phrase that came to mind when I looked at Linda.

“She’ll obey you, even if it kills her. The last thing she wants is to be hated by the first friend she ever found.”

“So?”

“So… if you can keep her under control, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“……”

I stared at Linda, still splashing happily in the water, then spoke.

“Hey.”

“Mm?”

“No poison on these people. Don’t slip it into food, either.”

“Okay!”

“Don’t harm anyone near me. If you do, friend or not, I’ll kill you.”

She beamed.

“Got it, Devil! Tea party later?”

“Later. The situation’s not good right now.”

“Okay!”

With Curtis himself vouching for her, even Walpole and Schneider could say nothing more, though they still looked uneasy.

The thieving cat continued glaring daggers at her, but I ignored it.

We waited until nightfall.

Scouts from the Second Prince’s forces searched the area, but the thick fog around the lake kept us hidden. They eventually gave up, clearly not suspecting Mist Lake was our destination.

I stayed awake, not trusting what Linda might do. Shushruta, sulking for some reason, climbed up a tree and slept there. …What was her problem?

I couldn’t force the knights to sleep this time, so I left it to them. They rested in their own ways, though all kept wary eyes on Linda.

She, of course, noticed none of it. Instead, she flitted around me, chattering endlessly.

“Hey, hey, Devil! Didn’t you miss me? I missed you sooo much.”

“Devil! I made a new poison. Wanna try it? It tastes good!”

“I hurt my leg when I fell off that cliff, but I healed right up with this poison!”

I gave half-hearted replies and waited impatiently for night to fall.

“Linda.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

“…O-okay.”

The sun bled red across the foggy lake.

Before I knew it, night had settled, and the world was swallowed by shadows.

The lake looked eerie under the black fog, as if ghosts might rise any second.

It was time to cross.

“Shushruta.”

Swish.

With the rustle of leaves, she dropped down beside me.

The knights, too, rose to their feet.

“You called.”

“Take out the dagger.”

“Understood.”

She drew the dagger from its sheath.

The constellations etched into its blade shimmered faintly.

“Follow me.”

With dagger in hand, she walked toward the lake.

We followed close behind.

“What’s going on?” Linda asked cheerfully, oblivious.

“Linda. Shh.”

“…Shh!”

At the water’s edge, the dagger released a beam of light.

Flash!

But this time, it didn’t shoot into the sky. Instead, it shone into the foggy lake.

Moments later, with an eerie creak, an old, weathered skiff slid out of the mist.

“Get in.”

Shushruta leapt onto the boat.

We hesitated briefly at the self-moving vessel, then stepped aboard.

The horses were left behind to rest; there was no room for them anyway.

“Now, follow the light.”

The dagger’s glow pointed a path into the mist.

Shushruta held it high at the stern, casting the beam forward, while Walpole and Schneider gripped the oars.

Creak… creak…

The skiff cut through the darkened fog, gliding slowly into the heart of Mist Lake.

(End of Chapter)

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