“What’s the problem, though?” another asked.

“You lot don’t get it, do you?!” Lynga snapped in frustration. “That’d just be risking another rival. And I don’t need more!”

Pardon?

Still holding the perplexed Liz, the men nodded in mysterious understanding. “Right, yeah. Makes sense.”

“So that’s what you mean.”

“That is what I mean,” Lynga agreed. “So just leave her by the roadside.”

“Hey! Wait a second!”

“Huh?”

Oh, crap. Feeling like she was about to be tossed away for incomprehensible reasons, Liz had accidentally spoken up.

“Wait. Did she just talk?” asked one of the werewolves as the group eyed her suspiciously.

“I think so?”

“But she’s totally limp.”

Liz kept her eyes shut, desperately trying to play the part of the unconscious victim. She couldn’t afford to be caught now. Her performance had to be perfect. Liz was a woman who would go as far as faking unconsciousness for her goals, after all. Yes.

After watching her for a while, Lynga shrugged in exasperation. “Fine. I guess it’d be a bad idea to just dump her. If it’s a contagious disease, Sir Zenos will be mad at us for leaving her to risk exposing others. I don’t like it, but let’s take her inside,” she grumbled, reluctantly instructing her subordinates to carry the unconscious woman into the mastermind’s lair.

Oh, phew. That takes care of the first step of my plan, Liz thought, breathing a sigh of relief despite her cold sweat. Things had grown worrisome for a spell, but it seemed her infiltration was successful. But wait...

That name Lynga had just mentioned. “Zenos.” Was that the mastermind? The name rang familiar to her, but it might’ve been a pseudonym. She couldn’t be sure.

The werewolves threaded through the buildings of the ruined city and arrived at the hideout. “Sir Zenos!” Lynga called out, knocking on the door. “We brought an unconscious woman!”

As the entrance to the demon’s realm slowly creaked open, sending shivers down her spine, Liz’s blood ran cold. It felt as though she’d just stepped somewhere beyond human comprehension.

She chuckled internally. Ah, how wonderfully exciting. But it doesn’t matter who my opponent is. As long as he’s a man, I’ll be the one in control. Liz was a woman who would go as far as playing the role of sacrificial lamb for her goals, after all. The brave member of the Black Guild steeled her resolve as she disappeared through the front door, as though being sucked into its depths.

Liz, of course, had no means of knowing what fate awaited her thereafter.

***

So this is the mastermind’s manor, she mused as the werewolves carried her. By pretending to have collapsed, she had been able to successfully infiltrate the man’s lair.

Still feigning unconsciousness, she discreetly glanced around through half-lidded eyes. The interior was simple, made of wood and devoid of any extravagant furnishings. She’d expected to see rows of formidable guards standing at attention, but to her surprise, there was no one at all.

This was just the entrance, however. It was likely there was a door somewhere leading to underground chambers, and that beyond it, a vast number of enemies lay in wait. And Liz was a woman who kept her guard up at all times, after all.

“Welcome!” came a voice from the back, accompanied by soft footsteps. “Oh! Lynga!”

It was the girl whom Liz had spotted the night before, cleaning the front of the building. She seemed to be a caretaker, someone the mastermind kept close at hand. The guards remained in hiding, and the reception seemed to be handled entirely by the harmless-looking caretaker. This mastermind was an exceptionally cautious man.

Liz felt the elven girl’s gaze shift toward her. “Um, Lynga, who’s that?”

“Oh, she was passed out on the street, so we brought her in,” Lynga replied. “Where’s Sir Zenos?”

“He’s doing his rounds right now.”

“Oh, is he?”

His rounds? Liz’s brows furrowed as she eavesdropped on the elf and werewolf’s conversation. What did they mean by “rounds”? Was it code for something?

Lynga’s expression seemed concerned. “When’s he coming back?”

“Umm,” the young elf began, “he said he had a lot of places to visit today and that he’d be home late.”

The werewolf hummed. “I see. Ah, well. I guess we could just dump this woman somewhere, then.”

What?! What kind of logic is that?! Liz’s internal screaming was very close to becoming external.

“Let’s lay her down on the bed for now,” the young elf interjected, much to Liz’s relief. “Okay, Lynga?”

“Hmph. I guess,” Lynga grumbled, seeming disappointed for some reason. She instructed her men to lay Liz down on the bed by the entrance door, and they did so, placing her on her back.

“I’ll keep an eye on her, and Zenos can examine her when he’s home.”

“All right. She’s all yours, Lily,” Lynga said with a sigh, then left with her men in tow.

Silence fell upon the room. With her eyes still closed, Liz pondered her next steps. They’ll finally take me to the mastermind’s chambers now.

But they didn’t.

What’s happening? She half opened her eyes, and very nearly exclaimed again, narrowly managing to bite back her words. What the...?!

The young elven blonde with sparkling hair was staring down at Liz. She tilted her head to the side and muttered, “Hmm... What a beautiful lady...”

Liz shuddered. Ack! Wh-What’s going on?! Her spine felt oddly chilly as the beautiful young girl emanated a terrifying, oppressive, icy aura. Liz had thought her nothing but a caretaker and a slave, but it was clear this was no ordinary girl.

“Hmm... And her eyelashes are sooo long...”

Huh?

“And her skin’s sooo pale...”

Um, hello?

“And her chest is sooo big...”