episode_0065

“Ghk, kehk… N-no, agh—!”

The employee’s throat was squeezed so tightly that only incomprehensible, strangled noises escaped his lips. But Ian, the one gripping his neck, had no interest in whatever he was trying to say. Lifting him with one hand, Ian hurled him to the ground like discarded trash.

“Arina! Are you okay?”

The concern in his eyes as he examined Arina’s face was so stark that it was hard to believe he had just radiated murderous intent moments ago. Only then did he realize she was still naked, quickly draping a blanket over her.

“Ian…”

“Are you okay?”

Her face was swollen from the slap, and bruises covered her entire body—she clearly wasn’t “okay” by any measure. So what he was really asking wasn’t about her physical state, but her emotional one. Having already endured a similar ordeal once before, he couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling now that she had nearly suffered the same fate again.

That worried gaze only made Arina feel worse. Just moments ago, she had been praying for someone to save her, but now, the shame of being seen in this state outweighed any relief she might have felt. She covered her face with her hands, but the humiliation wouldn’t fade, forcing her to lower her head.

“Don’t look…”

She knew how wretched and pitiful she must appear right now—so much so that she couldn’t bear to face it herself. Being seen like this by a friend plunged her into misery.

Ian couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was feeling, and that only made his heart ache more. It felt hollow, as if a hole had been punched straight through his chest.

Meanwhile, the employee, having finally caught his breath, regained his senses and began crawling on all fours toward the door, desperate to escape. But before he could make it out, an unexpected kick slammed into his face from the side.

“Guh—!”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Milen, her foot planted firmly on the man’s chest, stared down at him with a frigid expression devoid of any warmth. Though her face was blank, the utter lack of mercy in her eyes evoked a terror far greater than mere anger.

Sexual violence was the one crime Milen could never forgive. Not just because, as a woman, she could empathize—but because, in her line of work, she had seen firsthand how many women suffered, how many were driven to desperate ends because of it.

It wasn’t until a hard blow to the head brought him back to his senses that the employee could finally assess his situation objectively. Regret crashed over him too late. What the hell was I thinking, doing something I couldn’t handle?

“L-look… I’m sorry… I’ll apologize, so just let me go, okay? I didn’t even do anything yet—”

“Didn’t do anything? Are the injuries I’m seeing right now just some kind of illusion?”

“Th-those’ll heal in a few days! Just beat me up the same way and we’ll call it even!”

Driven by sheer survival instinct, he didn’t even realize the nonsense spilling from his own mouth. Nor did he realize it was only fueling their fury.

“Hearing you talk like that just proves there’s no reason to forgive you. Not that my forgiveness would mean anything anyway.”

As she watched the man babble in desperation, the last shred of respect Milen might have had for him as a fellow human being vanished. This thing isn’t human. It’s trash—unworthy of even basic decency.

“I swear! I swear on my life! I didn’t even grope her, let alone have sex! Isn’t that worth cutting me some slack? Yeah, I hit her a little too hard, but that’s not enough to ruin a young guy’s whole future, right?!”

The fact that he was still only worried about himself made it clear he lacked not just a conscience, but basic intelligence. No wonder he could spout nonsense about his “future” like it still mattered. Milen took a step back, putting distance between them.

Punishing him wasn’t her role.

His relief at thinking his plea had worked was short-lived. The moment he turned to try convincing Ian, a heavy fist was already hurtling toward his face.

CRACK! The blow shattered his nasal bone, caving in his face and deforming his skull. Teeth scattered like hail—so many that counting them would’ve been impossible.

“Agh, ghh—!”

Even though his face was already mangled beyond recognition, Ian wasn’t satisfied with just one hit.

CRUNCH! He stomped on the man’s hand, crushing the bones beneath his boot.

“Agh—AAAAAH!”

Ignoring the screams, Ian drove his fist into the man’s face again. Instinctively, the man raised his arms to block—only for both to snap at unnatural angles, his humeri splintering. Then came the collarbone, sternum, scapula, femur, patella, tibia, fibula—

One by one, Ian reduced them to pulp with relentless blows before finally drawing a knife and stabbing it into the man’s groin, cleanly severing his testicles.

“AAAAAAAAAAAH!!! AHH, GHH—AAAAAAAH!!!”

“What the hell is that noise?”

“Sounds like someone’s dying in there!”

“Hey, what the hell’s going on in there?!”

The horrific screams echoed through the inn, drawing a crowd outside the door. Milen, quick to react, blocked their way.

“Stay out. We’re putting down a rapist.”

“What the hell did he do to deserve being tortured like that?!”

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen Jasper, the employee, in a while…”

“Wait, is that Jasper in there?”

“Jasper?! Move! I’m checking for myself!”

Milen held them back, but without resorting to violence, she wouldn’t last long. Sensing the commotion outside, Ian locked eyes with Arina. He couldn’t let anyone else see her like this. If this ordeal caused her even more suffering, he’d erase every last witness from this world—even if he had to slit their throats himself.

To avoid that, Ian dragged Jasper out by the hair.

“Gh—ghhk… I’m sh-sorry… pl-please… spare me…”

The pitiful pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears.

When Ian emerged, slightly opening the door to keep the interior hidden, the crowd gasped—not at him, but at the mangled figure in his grip.

Jasper’s body was so broken it sagged like a boneless sack. Blood gushed from his severed pant legs like a faucet, making it hard to believe he was still alive.

“Jasper! You bastard! What the hell did you do to my friend?!”

“What the hell did he even do to deserve this?!”

“You’re an outsider, aren’t you? You think you can just walk away after this?!”

The crowd hurled curses and glares at Ian, but his focus was fixed on one person—the young man who had called Jasper his “friend.”

“You said you’re his friend?”

Ian’s voice was low, almost contemplative, but the murderous glint in his eyes made the young man falter. Similar in build to Jasper, he was still no match for Ian—especially after seeing what had been done to his friend. Still, too proud to show fear, he puffed himself up and shouted.

“Y-yeah! So what?!”

“One piece of trash isn’t enough. I won’t be satisfied until I tear apart his family, his relatives—every last one of them. A friend like you would make a decent substitute.”

He might not have meant it, but for a moment, it felt like he genuinely would. The crowd recoiled, fear gripping them.

“You psycho… What the hell did Jasper even do to you?!”

Ignoring the question, Ian silently dragged Jasper by the hair toward the center of the inn. With every step, the man’s broken limbs thudded against the stairs, his pained moans drawing the attention of every guest.

“G-guest!”

The innkeeper rushed over, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.

“That man is our employee… What on earth did Jasper do to deserve this…?”

“He laid hands on my companion.”

“Your companion? But why would Jasper—?”

“Do you even have proof? Your female colleague looks perfectly fine over there!”

Jasper’s self-proclaimed friend shouted, rallying the crowd. He seemed convinced that an outsider adventurer was unjustly persecuting his innocent friend—a scenario so common that the crowd was easily swayed.

Creak. The sound of an old hinge cut through the heated atmosphere like ice.

Arina, now dressed, stepped out of the room, avoiding the stares as she pushed through the crowd. If Ian’s actions were to be justified, she had to be the one to do it.

“You didn’t have to come out.”

“I’m not so weak that I need you to protect me forever.”

No explanation was needed. The bruises peeking from under her sleeves and the swelling on her face told the story plainly enough.

“As you can see, this bastard tried to assault my companion and brutally beat her.”

With the evidence laid bare, even Jasper’s friends fell silent. Birds of a feather flock together—Jasper had never been a good person, and they all knew he was capable of this.

“Therefore, by the authority of Baron Felix of the kingdom, I will execute this trash on the spot.”

The sudden declaration of nobility and summary execution sent another wave of murmurs through the crowd. Jasper, now on the verge of death, wailed louder than anyone.

“Executed…?! Spare me, please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

His desperate pleas might have stirred pity in another, but Ian didn’t waver.

“No.”

“Fuck no! I don’t wanna die! That bitch—she seduced me first! She led me on!”

Arina flinched at the accusation, reflexively hiding behind Ian.

No one believed Jasper now. Even with her face swollen, Arina’s beauty was undeniable—no one could imagine her seducing a man like Jasper, whose face had been caved in long before this.

“Fuck! Von! Kane! Luke! The hell are you doing, you bastards?! Your friend’s about to die, and you’re just gonna watch?! Stop him!”

He screamed at his friends in the crowd, but they all pretended not to hear, turning away. Birds of a feather, indeed—none of them had the strength or loyalty to stand up for him.

Slowly drawing his sword, Ian glanced back at Arina one last time before striking.

“What do you want me to do?”

Clutching the hem of his clothes from behind, she answered.

“Kill him.”

The death sentence was delivered. If—just if—she had told him to spare the man, what would he have done?

“I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please—!”

Thud. The desperate voice suddenly detached from its body, hitting the ground before rolling to a stop.