Ch.91Chapter 91

The rock club flew in with enough force to smash Isabel to pieces at any moment.

Not only Isabel, who never expected such a brutal attack in the middle of a conversation, but the twin knights and other followers also failed to react to the attack….

“KIEEEEEK!!!”

The burning giant bound to Isabel let out a monstrous cry and threw itself toward her.

Though its mind was broken by terrible torture and the power of witches, it knew that if Isabel died, it too would die since its source was controlled by her.

CRACK!

The burning giant blocked the rock club by sacrificing its shoulder. Naturally, the giant’s shoulder was shattered, and the rock club penetrated halfway through it.

Charred wood fragments fell from the giant’s body, drumming against Isabel’s golden mask.

Isabel came to her senses from the heat on her face and ground her teeth in anger.

She knew that Djin was vulgar and arrogant, but to resort to such brutish behavior immediately after negotiations broke down!

“Kill that damned Djin right now! One gold coin for anyone who wounds him, fifty gold coins for whoever ends his life!”

Isabel shouted to her subordinates as she hastily retreated.

Wendigo looked at the scene with contempt.

Logically, charging at a Djin was incredibly stupid, yet these people would risk their lives for just one gold coin….

“Shit. Just thrust a spear once and retreat.”

“Arrows. Idiots, prepare your arrows!”

“Wait for the empty wagons to attack. Even a Djin can’t attack us all at that moment!”

“……”

Wendigo stared at the followers igniting their fighting spirit with astonished eyes.

Even if they might land a lucky hit, who would take responsibility for them returning in one piece after such foolishness?

‘…I underestimated human greed.’

Wendigo regretted thinking too rationally.

Just as many people risk their lives pursuing intangible values like religion or ideology, he had overlooked how many would risk their lives for the chance at enormous wealth.

After this brief reflection, Wendigo stood with his ice sword raised like a pillar, watching his enemies.

Isabel, infuriated by his overwhelmingly arrogant attitude, commanded the giant.

“Burn that Djin to ashes!”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t harm my puppets.”

As the giant spewed intense flames and charged, Ellen sighed and gave orders to her puppets.

The puppets moved mechanically, forming a formation to follow behind the giant, with the followers and twin knights trailing behind.

Even with its half-destroyed shoulder, the giant swung its fist at Wendigo with endless hostility….

At that moment, a massive figure burst from the forest, smashing trees as it emerged. It grabbed the rock club and, showing no fear of the flames covering the giant’s body, sent the giant flying with its heavy foot.

BOOM!

The figure was Gulmarg. Gulmarg shook off the flames attached to the rock club and roared at the enemies.

The followers who had been rushing to pierce Wendigo’s body hesitated.

Risking their lives against one Djin was a gamble with decent odds, but adding an Ogre to the equation turned it from a gamble into a scam.

“Damn it, why is there an Ogre?”

“Do Djin and Ogres even get along? Is there no chance they’ll fight each other?”

“Does it look like the Ogre isn’t helping the Djin? And who says they can’t be friends? They both tear people apart just the same.”

As their reliable ally Djin was helpless and allowed the enemy to attack twice, the followers began to assess the situation.

The twin knights also frowned at the unexpected appearance of the Ogre.

They had come to protect Ellen because they loved her, not because they had any particular allegiance to Isabel.

Why should they endure such a dangerous situation?

The two approached Ellen and whispered:

“Shouldn’t we retreat now?”

“One Djin is one thing, but with an Ogre joining in, the risk-reward ratio is terrible.”

“You two worry too much. Isabel may be hot-tempered and arrogant, but she’s not completely without ability.”

Ellen wasn’t lying. Frankly speaking, if a hot-tempered and arrogant woman had no ability, she would have been stabbed in the back and killed long ago.

Isabel looked at the hesitant followers and casually pointed at one of them while reciting a spell.

Among the followers debating whether to flee or charge forward with the puppets, one man looked at his companion with flashing eyes.

“Hey, hey! Your shoulder’s on fire!”

“Huh?”

Those were the man’s last words.

He was consumed by flames in an instant, without time to comprehend his situation.

The flames that reduced the man to ashes swam through the air toward the burning giant, and after absorbing the flames, the giant instantly recovered from its injuries.

The followers realized what had happened and stared at Isabel in horror.

That crazy witch sacrificed one of them to restore the Djin!

…But the realization came too late. Isabel roared at the followers who glared at her.

“You fools! If you understand the situation, move to kill that Djin and monster with everything you’ve got! Otherwise, you’ll all die!”

When Isabel summoned flames, the followers writhed in agony.

The brand they received when swearing loyalty to the Red Rose Dawn Society was burning their minds.

When Isabel withdrew the flames, they understood their situation as they spilled everything their bodies could produce—tears, saliva, even stomach acid.

If they refused Isabel’s orders from now on, a pain worse than death would burn their minds!

“…Of course. What was I thinking, following a witch and ending up like this!”

“Shut up and grab your weapons! Do you want to suffer that horrible pain again?!”

“Damn it all!”

As the followers picked up their weapons while swallowing their despair, Dylan and Cole were disgusted.

They didn’t particularly worship honor, but Isabel’s actions went beyond eccentricity to pure evil.

Burning a subordinate alive to restore a Djin…?

As the two recoiled, Ellen inwardly sighed.

‘Who’s the stupid one here…’

Isabel tried to control people through fear, but people tend to resist rather than submit to fear.

Especially with capable individuals like the twin knights, fear often backfired.

Ellen approached the contemplative twin knights and took their hands.

“Ellen! I think we should retreat now.”

“You don’t need to suffer because of that crazy woman.”

“Would you two listen to me for a moment?”

‘What is she doing?’

Wendigo, watching from a distance, was puzzled.

He was about to signal his other subordinates as the knights, the strongest force here, seemed ready to flee….

But the two knights listening to Ellen’s whispers were seriously considering something with hardened expressions.

Curious about what compelling argument she might have, Wendigo focused on Ellen’s voice…

“I’ll let you do that thing you’ve always wanted, with my tail.”

“Hmm….”

“Imagine it. Grabbing my tail firmly while ravishing me as I cry like a kitten, completely at your mercy.”

‘What the hell is this nonsense.’

Wendigo was so shocked he forgot about the followers charging toward him.

Not for precious treasure or vast wealth, but asking them to risk their lives for one night of memories.

The problem was that the power emanating from Ellen was similar to Freya’s mystery… and the twin knights, proving they had joined the Red Rose Dawn Society because of Ellen, fell completely for her.

Having accepted the proposal, the twin knights drew their swords with resolute faces as if they’d heard a victory spell.

Watching from afar, Wendigo thought:

‘What kind of deity is behind these guys that Isabel only recruits such people?’

He began to suspect that Alfodur might be considered a fairy among the gods.

* * *

Isabel, watching her soldiers charge toward the enemies, sank into old memories.

‘Finally, the time has come to reclaim the rights I once enjoyed.’

As a child, Isabel was the daughter of a noble family feared by everyone.

People dared not meet her eyes, and she could have anything she wanted, even someone’s life.

Naturally, she believed without doubt that this was her rightful privilege.

…At least until her family fell.

Her father had earned too much hatred from neighboring nobles, and that hatred returned as the family’s downfall.

Being sold as a slave, forced to serve others after a lifetime of being served—these days were unbearable for Isabel, who had always considered herself noble.

Unable to accept this reality, she tried to burn down her new master’s house and kill herself.

[ Your heart is truly terrible. Stupid, haughty, and arrogant… but that’s why I like it. ]

An unknown voice came to her. At first, she thought it was just a hallucination before death, but she soon realized it was the voice of a god.

[ I wonder how much chaos you can bring to the world. I’ll give you a chance. ]

That day, the flames burning the mansion instantly filled her body, and she became a witch and priestess serving a god.

Of course, she didn’t piously worship or proselytize as a priestess.

Even then, Isabel thought all this was her natural “right” because of her nobility.

Besides, what good would come from the god showing interest in other followers rather than herself?

Isabel prided herself on this judgment being absolutely correct. How else could she have come this far?

“Yes. I was not wrong. I will establish a new family here…”

CRASH!!!

Just as Isabel was about to imagine herself wearing a colorful crown and being crowned queen in her delusion.

When Wendigo’s ice sword struck the ground, ice sprang up from the earth, tearing through the followers and extending toward Isabel.

Isabel startled, summoned her Djin and sacrificed her followers.

The Djin covered Isabel’s body and raised flames, but….

CRACK!

“KIEEEEEK!!!”

The ice ignored the Djin’s flames and penetrated its body, causing the Djin to scream in agony as the cold tore through it.

Isabel roughly pushed away the Djin’s arm and took in the massacre before her eyes.

Bodies frozen in states of explosion, tearing, and dismemberment.

Looking at those corpses, Isabel, for the first time in her life, reconsidered her choices.

Perhaps targeting this land had been a foolish idea after all.