The butterfly, smaller than a palm, fluttered with a soft green glow as it floated through the darkness. It was magical in nature—each flap of its wings launched it tens of meters forward, forcing the Squirrel Mercenary Band to ride at full speed just to keep up.

For a moment, the butterfly seemed to be headed toward the Resillin Forest. Then, suddenly, it veered sharply and began flying west.

Ria was still a novice at horseback riding, and there was no way she could’ve traveled this far alone in half a day. Something had definitely happened.

The thought of Ria, frightened and alone somewhere, made Estella’s blood boil. The only person who could have orchestrated something like this was Katrin.

I won’t let this go. Even if I have to fabricate the evidence, I’ll make her pay.

The horse’s speed tore away her tears before they could even fall.

“I’ll find her. I promise,” came Ciel’s voice from behind her.

Estella gave a small nod without saying a word. It was just a promise, but even that gave her some peace of mind.

“Hyah!”

Gallop gallop gallop...

A cloud of dust rose behind the galloping horses chasing the green butterfly.

“That way!”

Airi’s voice rang out from the front, and the glowing butterfly flickered like a firefly before bursting apart in a small pop of light.

“Whoa!”

As the lead horse reared to a halt, the others followed quickly. Though the night breeze was cool, sweat beaded on their foreheads after the long ride.

They had arrived at a village near the Kalen River, right at the edge of Wintfall territory. Scattered about were sheds used to build and repair rafts and fishing boats—frequented by fishermen from the Kalen.

There were at least five or six sheds in plain sight, and with distant homes scattered about, they had a lot of ground to cover. Estella felt sick thinking something irreversible might happen while they wasted time fumbling around.

“Split up and search,” said Ciel.

The mercenaries sprang into action as if they had already pre-assigned areas to cover. Ciel stayed with Estella and headed for the shed closest to the ferry dock.

The location was remote, and it was nighttime, making the search difficult. Still, the Squirrels worked like seasoned investigators—quick and meticulous. Most sheds were locked, but old padlocks meant nothing to them.

The area around the shed they reached was deathly silent.

Plop.

The sound of a fish jumping in the pitch-dark river pierced the quiet like a droplet in still water. Ciel exchanged a glance with Estella, then broke the padlock with ease and opened the shed door. He was braced for an ambush—but heard nothing.

Inside was dim, but the two entered cautiously. The air was thick with the stench of fish, damp soil, and old wood.

It was too dark to see clearly, and Estella squinted. Then the clouds shifted, and moonlight poured in through the high windows. In the faint light, she saw piles of raft materials, torn nets… and feet sticking out from under a tarp.

“Gasp!”

Estella darted forward, but Ciel quickly caught her.

“Wait. That’s not Ria. I’ll check. Stay here.”

The body was tall and broad—not feminine in the slightest.

Ciel spoke gently to calm the trembling Estella, then approached the body. The moon emerged further from the clouds, casting more light inside. Without hesitation, Ciel pulled the tarp back.

“...!”

He knew this face.

Ciel’s body tensed in a way that made Estella step closer without hesitation, her fear quickly shifting into dread.

It was Denian—dead, eyes wide open.

Estella clenched her fists so tightly they shook. The first person she had considered “one of hers” since returning… murdered. And because she had asked him to protect Ria.

Ciel covered Denian’s face again with the tarp. Now she could see: the black stains weren’t just water—they were his blood. His body was covered in stab wounds, barely a single uninjured spot.

A full-fledged knight of the Black Lily Order. A fighter strong enough to handle even monsters. And Denian had carried a Nevrian steel sword. To be killed so thoroughly meant this wasn’t a simple robbery—someone powerful had done this.

“Katrin?” Ciel asked in a flat tone.

Estella nodded silently.

And clearly, Katrin had help.

Estella didn’t collapse in grief. Instead, she became cold—emotionless.

“Ria should still be—”

“Over here!”

“Intruders! Stop them!”

Before Ciel could finish, Bruno’s shout rang out from a distance, followed by the angry cries of unfamiliar men. Without a word, Ciel and Estella bolted toward the sound.

Now, only Yoon Seo-yi’s soul drove Estella’s body. Cold rage burned like fire. Her eyes, locked on the target, held no warmth.

Her long sword was already drawn, cold Nevrian steel gleaming with blue aura.

I won’t let them go. I’ll never forgive them. How dare they—

Ciel was genuinely stunned at how fast Estella ran—just as fast as him. Her body leaned forward as she sprinted, not like a noble lady but a trained assassin.

The two reached the source of the noise, and soon the rest of the Squirrels arrived. Inside the shed, Bruno was already clashing with the attackers. The thugs flinched at the sight of the arriving reinforcements, but quickly chose to fight to the death.

As soon as Estella stepped inside, her eyes swept the room—and found Ria, tied up tightly and lying like a corpse.

Fire blazed in Estella’s gaze.

You dared. You dared touch her.

“Attack!”

Before the group of men could charge, Estella was already sprinting toward them.

The Squirrel Mercenary Band followed right behind her. Estella moved like a predator on instinct. She dodged a blade flying straight at her and sliced another from the side with her own.

Then, with a quick motion, she drew a dagger from her thigh sheath, stabbed one man in the neck, yanked it out, and plunged it under the next one’s jaw.

Her movements were clean, without waste.

Only her Special Forces training and mission instincts remained. Estella didn’t blink. She moved faster than the eye could follow—decisive and relentless.

Crunch! Thwack!

“Gkk!”

One man collapsed, clutching his throat as blood gushed through his fingers. Another dropped the same way. In a flash, Estella had killed two, and now she advanced on the rest.

“Captain, are you sure she’s not a squirrel but a beast?”

Lily asked, having just dispatched another thug. Ciel, too, was awed by Estella’s deadly grace. He’d known from her sword training that she wasn’t ordinary—but this exceeded expectations.

“She’s not just fine—she’s unbelievably cool.”

Ciel wiped blood off his cheek with the back of his hand and grinned.

“Looks like one deadly couple’s about to form.”

Lily laughed and calmly began clearing the other enemies beside Estella. Of the thirty or so thugs, only three remained within seconds.

The floor was slick with blood, and the few survivors whimpered.

Clang!

The last ones, having lost their will to fight, raised their hands in surrender. Airi, Kyle, and Haru arrived just in time to dispatch the reinforcements.

Now, only three trembling men remained inside the shed.

“P-please spare us! We were just following orders—hiiik!”

The oldest of the three dropped to his knees, hands clasped in prayer-like desperation. But Estella didn’t even look at him.

As she approached, filled with barely restrained killing intent, the man wet himself in fear.

“Ugh, gross! I’m not tying him up. No way I’m touching that.”

Lily grimaced, and Kyle sighed. He brought over rope from his saddle and tightly bound the three barely conscious men.

Estella knelt carefully beside the motionless Ria.

Her face, once cold and expressionless, now trembled with fear.

Please… please…

With shaking hands, she gently placed her fingers under Ria’s nose. The mercenaries stood in silence, watching.

The same hand that had just swung a sword without mercy now looked small and fragile. When Estella felt the faint, steady breath on her fingertips, tears spilled from her eyes.

“She’s… alive.”

Her whisper was more a sigh than a statement. And finally, the tense mercenaries allowed themselves to smile.

But relief was brief.

Estella examined Ria’s condition—and saw the bruises on her cheek, the split lip.

She stood—and without hesitation, kicked the face of the crying thug who had watched her silently.

Chapter 99

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