SCREEECH—
A black line, fine as a hair, suddenly appeared on the White-robed Iron Guard's Plate Armor, running from his shoulder to his waist.
Then, like a diagonally sliced watermelon, the upper part of his body slid smoothly to the ground, accompanied by the stench of blood and viscera.
This gruesome scene, like something out of a slaughterhouse, made Liya's stomach churn and her face turn deathly pale.
"Well, Miss Liya? Worth the One Thousand Gold Coins, wouldn't you say?"
BLEGH—
As Levi's smug voice rang out, Liya could no longer hold it in. Overcome with nausea, she bent over and threw up.
"So unworldly."
Levi sneered.
'It's just a few severed limbs. Back in the day, I used to sleep and eat in piles of corpses without even blinking.'
He turned his gaze to the last White-robed Iron Guard.
That one look was enough to make the guard's longsword clatter to the ground. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees.
To see four battle-hardened White-robed Iron Guards dispatched as easily as carving a melon had terrified him utterly.
It also made him realize the true caliber of a man who could remain champion of the Kolon Arena for two and a half years straight.
"Sir, don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!"
He begged for his life, the fear of death consuming his every thought.
Remembering how greedy Levi had seemed earlier, he hurriedly pulled a cloth pouch from his waist.
"I have money! I have money! I'll buy my life!"
Levi barked, disappointed in his lack of spine.
"Fool! If I kill you, those Gold Coins will be mine anyway."
Before the White-robed Iron Guard could even react, his head was separated from his body, a look of utter shock frozen on his face.
Levi gleefully snatched the money pouch from the dead man's hand. He weighed it; there were at least a dozen Gold Coins inside.
It was nothing compared to the fabulously wealthy Liya, but every little bit helped.
'As expected of the castle Guards, they're loaded.'
He collected the standard-issue longswords scattered on the ground into his system's inventory. Looking at the fine Plate Armor worn by the White-robed Iron Guards, a regretful expression crossed Levi's face.
The system's built-in inventory couldn't store people, which meant he'd have to strip the armor off the bodies to collect it, and there was clearly no time for that now.
"Miss Liya, the castle is crawling with pursuers. We need to leave as soon as possible. You lead the way."
Listening to the battle cries echoing from all directions, Levi knew the castle had become a meat grinder. They had to get out, and fast.
With his strength, he wasn't afraid for himself, but if he was dragging along dead weight, he couldn't guarantee her safety.
'This is a walking One Thousand Gold Coins. I can't let anything happen to her.'
"I... my legs are weak."
After throwing up, Liya was clearly feeling much better, but her face was still pale and her legs were trembling. Her pitiful appearance was enough to make anyone's heart ache.
The small room was filled with the stench of blood and viscera. Blood pooled on the floor, and red and white gore was scattered everywhere.
Having been pampered since childhood, she had never witnessed such a scene. Although her mother had often told her about such things, only by seeing it with her own eyes did she understand how terrifying it truly was.
"Personal service is going to cost you extra!"
Levi raised an eyebrow.
Before Liya could react, Levi swept her up into his arms with one hand, causing her to cry out in surprise.
"What are you screaming about? You want to attract our pursuers?"
Levi slapped her on the butt and shot her a glare.
Liya was furious but didn't dare say a word, bottling up her anger.
"Point the way."
Liya didn't hesitate, immediately pointing down a corridor.
Levi charged forward, holding his Secret Silver Longsword in one hand and Liya in the other.
Weighing just over a hundred pounds, Liya felt as light as an ant in Levi's arms, not affecting his movements in the slightest.
"Levi, my mother was captured by them too. Can you..."
Nestled in his arms, having witnessed Levi's martial prowess, Liya was in awe. And a new idea began to form in her mind.
'With Levi's strength, if he went to save my mother, there's a high chance he would succeed.'
'As long as he rescues Mother, we might still have a chance.'
"Ah, that hurts!"
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she was thrown to the ground with a THUD.
As the Highland Tulip, a jewel treasured by all, she had never been treated so crudely.
Without a shred of chivalry, Levi dumped Liya on the floor and turned to leave.
It wasn't that he was afraid of the castle Guards, but that didn't mean he would go looking for trouble.
Besides, it didn't take a genius to figure out that her great-uncle—the Rogue Knight, Damon—was definitely involved in this struggle for the title.
After all, that man made no secret of his ambition to seize the lordship.
'She wants me to offend that Iron-blooded Lord who commands a powerful army, all for a mere One Thousand Gold Coins? Wishful thinking.'
"I'll pay you more!"
Liya shouted, having already gotten a feel for this Pioneer Knight's character.
Levi stopped. Just as Liya thought she had succeeded, his earnest voice rang out.
"Miss Liya, you're too naive. The entire castle is full of enemies right now. Leaving aside whether I can even save your mother, even if I did, how would the three of us escape the lockdown on Kolon City?"
"If I'm not mistaken, your great-uncle, Damon, is definitely involved in this succession war. From what I know, he once served as the commander of the Kolon Defense Team and holds immense prestige."
"And the Kolon Defense Team has several thousand soldiers. You don't stand a chance."
"In other words, you're on the losing side now. Wouldn't it be better to just leave quietly and plan a comeback in the future?"
Although Liya had never heard phrases like "on the losing side" or "plan a comeback," she understood the general meaning and fell silent.
She had a quick mind and knew that Levi was right.
Levi walked over to the now-filthy girl and advised her earnestly,
"Leaving Kolon is your only way out right now. As long as you get out alive, you, with your right of succession, can raise an army. In the future, you might even have a chance to take Kolon back and get your revenge."
"But if you die now, you'll truly have nothing left."
"Can you imagine what fate awaits you if they capture you?"
"When a beautiful woman falls into the hands of a mob of thuggish soldiers, a fate worse than death is all that awaits her!"
"As for your mother, Lady Onaya... I am truly sorry." As he spoke, Levi managed to squeeze a single tear from the corner of his eye.
Seeing Levi grieving for her mother, Liya silently nodded, her impression of him changing drastically for the better.
"Sigh... Miss Liya, please show me the way. With me here, I will definitely get you out of Kolon unharmed."
Liya proactively held out her hand. Levi took the cue, scooped her into his arms, and continued on their way.
However, in a place where Liya couldn't see, the corners of Levi's mouth curled into a slight smirk, all traces of sorrow gone from his face.
'Life is a stage, and it's all about the performance.'
'The oldest tricks are always the best for winning someone over.'
He had said all that merely to trick Liya into leaving with him.
As for Liya's mother, Levi had no intention of helping.
He probably could rescue Lady Onaya, but the reward wasn't proportional to the effort. He would never take on such an unprofitable venture.
Thinking this, he happily began to hum a little tune in his head.