Chapter 46

Bait and Trap

It was a dark night, the moonlight hidden behind clouds. With the season of bitter cold approaching, a night in the snowy mountains was far too harsh for Seraphia.

“Haaah...!”

The chill penetrating her fur clothes made her tremble uncontrollably. Her fingertips felt like shards of ice. Blowing on them did no good; her breath simply froze white.

Her nose and ears were red and numb with cold. Her legs grew steadily stiffer, making even a single step a struggle. Still, she pressed doggedly onward, climbing the mountain along the path Adrian had made.

“W-wait for...!”

She wished he would wait for her.

But Adrian was already far above her, apparently not giving her a second thought. He was gradually disappearing from view. Keeping up with him was sheer agony. Normally, she would have collapsed long ago.

‘Thank goodness... I exercised...’

The exercise she had kept up in hopes of growing closer to Adrian was proving useful.

“Hah...! Hah...!”

Though poor stamina was still poor stamina.

Panting and straining with every ounce of strength, Seraphia reached the summit.

Adrian had arrived ahead of her and was already setting up camp. He was digging out the thick snow and ice underfoot with his bare hands to create a firm, level surface. The mountain’s brutal cold blew in from every direction. To block the skin-cutting wind, he built a windbreak out of nearby rocks and snowdrifts.

He looked more than practiced; he looked like an expert. Even mercenaries who had spent decades on battlefields could not have done as well.

‘A-amazing...!’

Seraphia could not help marveling.

While she watched in admiration, a small space for a fire had already taken shape in the center. Adrian then laid down wood he had brought from who knew where and carefully lit it. The flames wavered, teetering on the verge of going out, before finally blazing up. In an instant, the darkness fled.

Adrian spotted Seraphia.

“Come warm yourself.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

She hurried over to the campfire. In its warmth, her shivering slowly subsided. When she gently held both palms toward it, the warmth seemed to enfold her entire body.

While Seraphia warmed herself, Adrian brought out dried meat and finely ground grain. He filled a kettle, also produced from who knew where, with snow and set it to boil. Then, with a few deft motions, he soon had an appetizing stew sending up wisps of steam.

“Eat.”

“Thank you for the food!”

Seraphia quickly took the dish of stew and immediately lifted it to her lips.

“Mmm...!”

The taste made her eyes fly wide open.

“It’s delicious!”

It truly was. This was a rustic stew made with nothing but dried meat and ground grain, yet it was as smooth and savory as something served at a fine restaurant.

“Help yourself if you want more.”

“Yes!”

She found herself nodding vigorously. Adrian went back to finishing the camp preparations.

It felt as though she had come on a trip with him.

‘This is nice...’

So very nice.

When else would she get to eat something Adrian had cooked himself? When else would she get to spend time like this with him? The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that volunteering to be bait had been the right choice.

‘I wish it could always be like this...’

Seraphia hoped there would be many more moments like this in the days ahead.

* * *

Seraphia was wolfing down her stew. It was a rustic dish made with dried meat, but my Agility currently stood at an impressive 33.35. With Promote Metabolism[C+] becoming a passive skill, I now enjoyed a constant +15% bonus, and my cooking had improved tremendously as a result. With a little exaggeration, my hands were deft enough to make food scraps palatable.

“It’s really, really delicious, Brother!”

Turning a mere stew into fine cuisine was no trouble at all. But as I watched Seraphia enjoying it—

‘... Damn it.’

A sudden surge of irritation rose inside me. Even if this was for the lycanthrope hunt, what the hell was I doing?

Seraphia. The Sovereign of Bitter Cold. The allied army’s greatest enemy. The witch who had taken the Hero Ian’s left arm.

The screams of those she had killed still rang vividly in my ears.

Being struck by her cold did not simply leave you encased in ice. All your blood and bodily fluids froze. It was no different from having sharp blades of ice form throughout your body. The frozen body became a horror, as though it had been put through a grinder, and its owner died in excruciating agony.

There was not a single organ that did not need blood. I could still vividly picture the corpses of my operatives, every organ torn to shreds. They had died with not only their hearts but even their brains ripped apart. Their bodies had turned blue, looking as though a thin layer of ice covered them.

They had struggled to escape, but their bodies, hardened with ice, were already fixed in place. They could not break free. My subordinates in the special task force had died in such desperation.

All I had been able to see... was a cold grave where life had vanished in an instant.

Seraphia had done all of it. The absolute Sovereign of cold, she wielded an altogether different order of chill called bitter cold. That was how Ian had lost his left arm, too. It had been so horrific, so devastating, that even the Saintess’s miracles could do nothing.

Seraphia, the Sovereign of Bitter Cold. Of the six Sovereigns who served the Emperor, she was the one the allied army had named [The Allied Army’s Greatest Enemy].

* * *

Seraphia abruptly froze mid-bite. An intense gaze seemed to pierce her entire body. When she slowly lowered her dish, she found Adrian staring at her with murder in his eyes.

His eyes were worse than last time. They held even more killing intent than when he had strangled her.

Watching him warily, she quietly set her dish down. She wanted another helping... but she felt she should not.

Adrian was still glaring at her as if he would kill her. No, now that she looked, it was not merely a threatening air. He was on the verge of killing her. Something was holding him back, but she felt that the slightest provocation would make him kill her without fail.

She had thought they had grown a little closer. Simply being with him made her so happy, filled her with such joy.

“Tsk.”

... Yet somehow, he kept hating her.

Suddenly, Adrian threw everything down in irritation and strode away. She wanted to stop him, but could not summon the courage. Fortunately, Kai happened to be entering the campsite and ran into him. Having set out late because of his female disguise, Kai seemed to have only just arrived.

“Where are you going?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I can’t stay beside you.”

“Didn’t you say it would take about three days for the lycanthrope to respond?”

“I did.”

“Then surely you can stay with us for today?”

Instead of answering, Adrian looked at Seraphia for a moment. She hastily dropped her gaze, afraid their eyes might meet.

“Send a signal when the lycanthrope comes.”

With only those words, Adrian left the campsite.

Kai tilted his head as he watched him go.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“What? N-no. Nothing happened.”

Seraphia waved her hands frantically. And in truth, nothing had happened. Kai apparently had no intention of pressing her; he sat down across from her.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE.

Only the sound of the campfire broke the stillness.

“It still isn’t too late.”

Kai spoke without preamble.

“This operation is too dangerous. Above all—”

“No. I must do this.”

Seraphia cut him off, making her resolve clear. Perhaps her determination had gotten through to him. Kai said no more on the subject.

“Then please promise me one thing.”

When Seraphia looked at him, he spoke again.

“Promise me you will not use your power, no matter what happens.”

“All right.”

“Even if my life is in danger, you must never use it.”

“...”

“Please promise me.”

“... I promise.”

Seraphia gave a small nod. Only then did Kai brighten, seemingly reassured. Silence fell once more. This time, Seraphia broke it.

“By the way, Sir Kai.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry to say this, but...”

She slowly looked him over.

His long, waist-length golden hair reflected the campfire, shining like the sun. It was soft and glossy. Whenever a breeze stirred it, she caught glimpses of his face between the strands. It was so delicate and beautiful that it was hard to believe he was a man.

His skin was pale and smooth, with a pristine, porcelain quality. Makeup gave his lips a moist, pale-pink sheen. His deep, clear blue eyes and fine lashes combined to create a beauty that seemed heavenly.

“You look incredibly pretty right now!”

She could immediately understand why the maids had been so excited. Now she understood why every maid in the lord’s castle had rushed forward, confidently insisting they be allowed to handle it.

“I think you would look even more beautiful in a dress!”

She was not merely joking. Dressed as a woman, Kai could have passed for the greatest beauty on the continent.

Kai, however, had his head deeply bowed, apparently embarrassed. He was always so cool and restrained with his emotions.

“...”

Now he could not say a word, only keeping his head down. Somehow, she suspected his face was as red as a young girl’s.

Feeling an unbidden urge to tease him, Seraphia edged closer. And at that very moment, a tremendous gust swept past before her eyes.

* * *

A warning of mortal danger rang through Kai’s instincts. By the time he registered it, he was a step too late.

“Huh...?”

As Seraphia let out a bewildered sound, something lunged at him.

He had sensed no killing intent in its movement. Even with his senses, he could not react. A huge, brutal hand seized him. Only then could he see its owner.

It was a being that looked like a fusion of man and beast. Standing over six meters tall, its sheer height exerted tremendous pressure. Sharp, bristling brown fur covered a body packed with muscles as hard as steel. He could clearly see those muscles moving beneath the waving fur.

Its face was the very image of a wolf’s. Beneath its broad forehead, its eyes shone wolf-red. Yet what dwelled within them was not Madness. Nor was it ravenous hunger.

It was carnal pleasure. That primal, filthy desire gleamed in the depths of its eyes.

Confronted with that desire, Kai immediately knew what stood before him.

The lycanthrope.

The beast of lust had come.

GRRRRR...

Holding Kai in one hand, the lycanthrope brought his eyes close. Then he grinned, savoring fantasies of the pleasure soon to come.

Kai did not know why the beast had targeted him instead of Seraphia. But it was better this way. Had the lycanthrope gone for her just now, Kai would have lost her right before his eyes.

The lycanthrope sniffed at Kai. Then, as though something were wrong, he tilted his head. He sniffed again and again.

GRUHK?!

Had he realized Kai was a human male? The lycanthrope’s face began to contort grotesquely.

CRUNCH!

The grip constricting Kai’s body tightened further.

“Ghh!”

... Such tremendous strength. Had he not protected himself with aura, his body would have burst on the spot.

BOOM!

The lycanthrope hurled Kai away. He slammed into the ground, and horrific pain washed over him. It felt as if his entire body... had shattered. Yet he gritted his teeth and rose. The ability he had gained by stepping toward the realm of a Master made that possible.

As he got to his feet—

SKREEEE!

KRIK, KRRRIK!

—Kai saw the countless monsters that had surrounded them.

In other words, the lycanthrope had not come alone.

‘He... knew?’

He had known. He had known this was bait meant to lure him out. And yet he had shown himself willingly. Because he was confident. Because he was certain he could kill everyone here.

They had laid out “bait,” and the other side had set a “trap.”

The lycanthrope grinned. With Kai isolated, he bared the full extent of his filthy, hideous desire toward Seraphia.

Having experienced it himself, Kai knew. This was not the sort of desire Seraphia could withstand.

“Ah... Aah...”

She was crushed beneath that vile lust. Her body shook like a leaf, as though she were imagining the atrocities he would soon inflict on her.

Perhaps the sight of her trembling in terror excited him even more. The lycanthrope unleashed his desire with ever greater abandon.

Kai had to stop him. But the monster legion surrounding him made it difficult to move. Adrian... was not here.

Adrian himself had said it would take three days for the lycanthrope to respond to the bait. He was far away now. Kai had neither the time nor the opportunity to send a signal, and even if he did, it would be too late.

They had walked... straight into the trap.

“Run!”

Kai shouted, but Seraphia did not hear him. She was in no state to hear anything. Nor did the lycanthrope stop. He did not even glance Kai’s way. He was advancing toward her.

And at that very moment, red mist erupted from the lycanthrope’s massive body. Something had lunged at him, a moving shape like a black wolf. It bit into his side.

... It was Adrian.

Adrian reached out again and tore into the lycanthrope’s shoulder. The beast was forced downward—and Adrian seized him by the throat—

BAM!

He slammed him straight into the ground. Only then did the lycanthrope scream in agony, struggling violently to escape his grasp. But he could not move an inch. Adrian pinned him down with all his might, his eyes flashing.

“It’s been a while, you fucking beast.”

Adrian’s blood-red eyes stared straight at the lycanthrope. A tangle of complex emotions surfaced within them.

Hatred, joy, anger, exhilaration.

And rapture.

Faced with those tangled fragments of emotion rising from Adrian, Kai realized—

“Then or now, that filthy lust of yours never changes!”

... Adrian, too, had set a trap.