Chapter 30 : Was this a Romance Novel? (2)

The Vendetta Legion was a group that seemed on the verge of self-destruction without the leash of control.

Even so, it surprisingly maintained a strict hierarchy.

This paradoxically stemmed from their profound respect for their leader’s authority, which they adhered to rigorously.

In the legion, rank equated to the leader’s authority, and even if they didn’t agree with it, they followed it strictly.

Naturally, ranks within the Vendetta Legion were determined solely by strength.

Status or lineage had no place in their order.

Take, for example, the case of Raipen, the emperor of the empire and the second in command.

Raipen’s position as second in rank and vice-captain was not due to his imperial status or royal lineage.

He had earned it purely by being the second strongest in the Vendetta Legion.

Therefore, if Wolfgang Leonhart, the captain, was absent, command would typically fall to the ranks in order.

However, there was one notable exception to this absolute hierarchy.

That exception was none other than Galina, the fourth-ranked “Mad Dog.”

Despite her nickname, she served as Wolfgang’s adjutant, assisting her leader.

Of course, the position of adjutant wasn’t merely a superficial title.

If the captain or vice-captain were absent, the adjutant could temporarily wield the captain’s authority.

Such was the power held by Galina.

Yet, she had never once abused the authority that came with her position.

For her, acting in the captain’s stead meant carrying the weight of his reputation, which she would never tarnish.

Still, adjutant Galina wasn’t pleased with the current situation.

Some unnecessary pest was stirring the captain’s heart, and she couldn’t stop it.

The captain was someone they followed.

If he set his mind to something, how could a subordinate stop him?

Her role was to support, not control.

That didn’t mean Galina was passively observing the events unfold.

While she wouldn’t stop her captain, she also saw no need to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

Galina was now waiting in a secluded forest, shrouded in darkness, for someone she sensed approaching.

She could feel the presence of someone familiar heading her way.

“Why are you stopping me?”

“An enemy knight is approaching armed. Do I need another reason?”

“I understand. But I am not your enemy.”

Theodore gazed at the woman blocking his path.

It was evident at a glance that she possessed formidable strength.

Galina smiled and spoke.

“I know.”

Boom!

A tremendous roar echoed through the once-quiet forest.

The ground where Theodore stood was utterly destroyed, leaving a massive crater.

Theodore clicked his tongue as he surveyed the scene.

‘If I had tried to block that, my body would have been reduced to pulp.’

Though her power was beyond imagination, Theodore remained composed.

He had already gathered some knowledge about the Vendetta Legion.

The legion that led the gruesome Winter War to victory.

Monsters with the power to rival entire armies.

The empire’s strongest sword and its impenetrable shield.

One bard described them as follows: “The strongest sword and shield cannot coexist, yet they achieved the impossible.”

And so, the strongest sword and shield would never clash.

“Don’t confuse the captain with your pointless words.”

“If you think my words are deceitful, why didn’t you stop me then?”

“Because the captain wanted to hear you. I am not one to rein him in, only one who follows.”

“So now you’re trying to stop me because the captain isn’t here?”

“I’m not stopping you. This is merely an unfortunate accident.”

The captain is our only home, our only reason to live.

Are you trying to take even that away from us?

How much more does the world need to take from us to be satisfied?

I understand the desire to reclaim lost bloodlines.

If it were me, I would likely feel the same.

But let me be clear. I stand on this side, not that one.

It can’t be helped.

It’s a shame.

If we gave everything up for such stories, then how are we supposed to survive?

Her pent-up nature, confined in her human shell, began to manifest with distorted noise.

Before long, what stood before Theodore was a massive wolf.

A beastkin? No, it wasn’t.

The raw ferocity emanating from her was closer to a monster.

Theodore didn’t hide his curiosity.

“…You seem more like a wolf than a dog.”

Galina responded immediately.

“No, I am a dog. A dog that loves her master more than anything.”

The Winter War.

In that horrifying hell, survivors each found their own ways to cope with fear.

Some worshipped it.

Others embraced death as a means of resistance.

And some relied on another fear to overcome it.

There was a madwoman.

She had witnessed her husband and child devoured alive by a wendigo right before her eyes.

For some reason, the wendigo spared her.

Even as the deranged woman attacked it, begging to be eaten, it merely watched her with amusement.

A completely broken mind doesn’t even think of taking its own life.

That was her reality.

She laughed hysterically, danced, and ran wild through the forest alone.

Perhaps it was her way of surviving, or maybe even her shattered mind had surpassed the instinct to wish for death.

By some twist of fate, she encountered the one who could grant her release.

A massive wolf.

Not an ordinary beast, but something closer to a monster.

Yet even in the presence of such a terrifying entity, the woman didn’t cower.

Instead, she welcomed it with open arms, believing her painful life was finally over.

But the wolf did not kill her.

Instead, it took her to its den and protected her.

Why would a monster shelter a human?

The answer was simple.

Reproduction.

The apocalyptic winter had spared no one, not even the monsters.

The wolf had lost all its kin.

Instinctively, it knew its species would face extinction if it didn’t find a way to continue its lineage.

It was then that the woman appeared before it.

The beast’s primal need for survival overpowered even its hunger.

The woman, dragged to the monster’s lair, was forcibly made to bear its offspring.

And so, Galina was born—a cursed being who should never have existed.

A monster that devoured its own mother.

Roar!

Galina let out a thunderous howl, as if venting all the humiliation and rage she had endured.

She charged at Theodore with incredible speed.

In response, Theodore drew his sword without hesitation.

‘She certainly has a tragic past, but I cannot die here.’

He had promised to dedicate the rest of his life to that child.

He had no regrets about his choice.

He had already wept, suffered, and endured more than enough.

But now, hesitation was no longer an option.

Regret was no longer an option.

He could only move forward.

In a flash, his blade severed Galina’s right leg.

Despite her monstrous transformation, Galina’s speed ranked among the highest in the Vendetta Legion.

‘For her to be so fast that I nearly missed her movement even for a moment—she’s no ordinary opponent.’

However, that didn’t mean she was unbeatable.

The severed leg regenerated with astonishing speed, faster than it had been cut.

Theodore’s eyes narrowed.

“You carry the blood of a monster.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“That regeneration speed surpasses even that of trolls, who are known for it. No ordinary beastkin possesses such a trait.”

“You’ve just given me one more reason to kill you.”

Grinning wickedly, Galina lunged at him again with her massive form.

Theodore tightened his grip on his sword, his expression resolute.

He could not afford to hold back.

It was unfortunate, but she would have to die here.

Ironically, both of their intentions aligned perfectly at that moment.

However, just as their killing intent was about to clash, a massive flame shot between them.

The flame wasn’t particularly fast or powerful.

But it stopped them as if by prior agreement.

They both recognized the flame’s owner too well.

Galina turned her head, her eyes wide with shock.

As expected, her master stood there.

Her white hair, wild like a beast’s fur, fell to her waist.

Even in the darkness, her golden eyes glowed brightly.

Wolfgang Leonhart had arrived.

‘Did the captain predict I would act like this?!’

Like a child caught misbehaving, Galina stared at Wolfgang with a guilty expression.

Of course, Wolfgang wasn’t some omniscient god.

It was just that…

‘Can’t I just get some sleep, dammit?’

She had been about to call it a night when she felt the ground shake with explosions.

And so, she had no choice but to investigate.