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“… Where am I?”

As she opened her eyes, she felt the cold floor beneath her and the landscape before her seemed to resemble a prison.

When she touched her neck out of discomfort, she found a Binding Spell attached to it, and ropes tied around her wrists.

“Can’t I use my magic?”

The device around her neck appeared to be a device that seals magic.

“Oof.”

With a sudden pain from a recollection, the girl let out a soft groan.

“Yes, that’s right… I must have been at home…”

‘Robbers appeared at my house and kidnapped me!’

Thinking this, she recalled the past.

‘Was it that girl?’

‘I’m pretty sure of it.’

It was while she was waiting for Nova’s note, saying she’d wake up late, eat, and then head to the market, that she sensed movement and looked out the window, only to see around ten armed individuals approaching her home.

As if they had come with the sole purpose of taking her, she tried to fight back against the assailants, but her Staff, which she had never aimed at a person in real combat, trembled and was quickly broken, leading her to fall under their control.

‘And then I opened my eyes to find myself here.’

Ha… Why is it that even when my memory comes back, I return to such a situation?

If only I had regained my memory slightly earlier, I might have been able to respond properly.

As she assessed her surroundings to grasp the situation, not long after, she heard a clank and the door creaked open.

Creeeak.

“Oh, you’re awake? Just as they said, you’re beautiful.”

Two assailants who looked anything but friendly entered the room.

“Wh-who are you…?”

The girl looked extremely nervous, visibly shrinking back.

“Is that her? The one who’s supposed to use magic?”

“Yeah, the intruders said she uses wind element magic.”

“Is that true? There are second-tier magic users in a rural village like this?”

The man licked his lips while looking at her.

“Hmph, she’s pretty cute for her age and has a decent figure as well.”

“Hey, didn’t we hear not to treat her harshly since we’re supposed to bring her to the boss?”

“So what~? A little fun won’t hurt; we’re going to make her one of us anyway. We should at least let her know her place, right?”

The girl could sense what they were planning and said, almost tearfully, “P-please… spare me…”

As they opened the prison door, probably surprised by her reaction, she backed into a corner and crouched down.

“Pl-please don’t come near me… I-I don’t want this…!”

“Hehe, it’ll be fine, little lady. Just relax and you’ll feel good~”

As he said this, the man approached her, but just as he was about to reach out with a lewd grin—

Swoosh!

“Huh?”

Suddenly, blood gushed from the man’s neck.

Looking ahead, she said, “I told you not to touch me.”

Unbeknownst to them, she had already cut the ropes binding her wrists and tightly gripped a dagger that had found its way to her waist.

With icy blue pupils, she stared indifferently at the man.

As he fell back like a puppet with its strings cut, his companion shouted in alarm, “Huh? What the hell is going on?!”

Just as he tried to rise to understand the situation, suddenly, a dagger he hadn’t noticed before flew toward him.

Thud!

“Ahhh!!!”

The assailant writhed in agony as the dagger pierced his eye, and in that moment, an ominous voice echoed from behind.

“Die.”

By the time he registered the voice, the last sensation he felt was a fiery pain coursing through his temple before everything went black.

“Ku… Kuuhh!”

Over the motionless body of the blood-splattered man, a girl with purple hair looked down and slowly opened her mouth.

“No matter how many life-threatening situations I’ve been through… I really don’t want to end up hugging a man.”

“You… what the hell, kuagh…!”

“Die, you pervert.”

Thud!

*

“Phew, acting like that is exhausting.”

Stella finished off the man and shook the blood from her dagger, pondering the bizarre logic behind her kidnapping.

Since they said they were going to make her one of their own, it probably wasn’t meant for her to be sold as a slave.

While considering various thoughts, she searched the bodies but didn’t find the key to unbind her neck.

“Ugh, useless.”

Should I go out and find the others? That’s when she heard someone coming down outside the prison.

The footsteps were heavy; she instinctively sensed it.

This guy is strong. The moment the door opened, Stella threw her dagger at the figure emerging.

Gulp!

However, the man who stepped through quickly twisted his body and dodged the dagger.

“It’s okay; there’s still one more left.”

As he evaded the dagger, her second dagger had already slipped into his embrace.

He tried to respond in alarm, but—

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Three slashes landed instantly on his neck, chest, and abdomen.

“Cough!”

The bald, masked man Lauf let out a panicked voice.

“An attack so chilling that it’s hard to believe it’s from a child.”

“Hah… Hah…”

But despite the blows she delivered, Stella’s face twisted into an expression of unease.

‘That guy instinctively blocked all the vital points…’

“According to my intel, she’s supposed to be a mage. What is she really?”

“…Hah… What happened to my friend?”

Lauf recalled the information Gwen had told him — there was a boy of similar age living with her.

“I won’t tell you unless you answer my question first.”

“What happened to him?”

In that instant, Lauf’s body flinched.

‘What a terrifying killing intent.’

It was an aura so chilling that it was hard to believe it came from a mere child.

“If you’re that curious, you could try to force it out of me.”

“…So you want to die, huh?”

“You’re talking too short; let me teach you some manners.”

As Lauf finished his words, he lunged at her, swinging his metal staff vertically.

Whoosh!

However, his staff sliced through empty air effortlessly.

‘Pretty swift.’

Lauf maintained his composure as he continued swinging the staff, but she was dodging at the last moment each time.

Then, like flowing water, she slipped into his embrace again.

“Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick again?!”

Lauf charged straight at Stella.

Thud!

The dagger plunged into Lauf’s abdomen, but showing no sign of caring, he continued pushing forward.

Never did he expect such a blunt rush; confusion washed over Stella’s face.

Thud!

With a headbutt, Stella was thrown back and crashed against the wall, spewing blood.

“Cough…!”

Lauf, as if it was nothing, pulled the dagger out and slowly approached her.

“Such wounds mean nothing. Your skills are terrifyingly outstanding for a child but ultimately, you’re still just a child whose physical abilities differ.”

Stella, taken aback by the shock, slid down against the wall, panting.

“You’re incredibly strong, but it’s still incomprehensible. A level of dagger skill like that must come from intense training.”

To Lauf, Stella’s body looked like that of someone who shouldn’t be fighting.

‘Honestly, I feel like I should kill her right now.’

But Lauf’s boss, Ned, had ordered, “If they seem useful, bring them back.”

‘If she has this level of skill at such a young age, she’ll surely become a monster in the future.’

“I’ll bring you to our boss; just come along quietly… But I guess you won’t listen.”

Lauf approached, holding the metal staff in front of Stella.

“I’ll just break a few of your limbs.”

As he said this, he attempted to withdraw and swing the staff, but for some reason, it wouldn’t budge.

“What the…?”

Stella was gripping the end of the staff, refusing to let go.

“I didn’t want to use this here, but since it seems like I’ll die regardless, I have no choice.”

Blue Energy flickered around Stella, and then a cracking sound erupted from the staff.

!!!

Lauf, caught off guard, let go and jumped back.

‘No way… She shattered a steel staff with her bare hands?!’

Just moments ago, she could barely grip a dagger, and now, he was utterly horrified as her actions kept defying logic.

‘This girl has to die here.’

Thus, he thought as he hurled a shuriken at Stella’s neck.

Swish!

However, the shuriken did not penetrate her neck.

Stella caught the incoming shuriken and threw it back at Lauf.

The only difference was the speed of its return.

Whooooosh Bang!!!

The shuriken sliced through Lauf’s ear and smashed into the wall behind him, creating a thunderous noise.

As he tried to comprehend the situation while in shock, the tiny figure that had abruptly slipped close sent a shiver of indescribable fear through him.

“AHHHHH!!!”

He attempted to swing his fists, but couldn’t.

“Wait…?”

Turning his head due to the striking unease, he glanced at his arms, only to find them grotesquely twisted.

“I’m more confident in hand-to-hand combat than knives or guns.”

As he said this, the sole of a foot flying toward him became the last scenery Lauf would ever witness.

*

Wandering the quiet alleyway where not a single person stepped foot, Gwen recalled the words of that monstrous man.

‘Just one more chance. Gather information about the Demon King.’

“Damn it, how could the Demon King possibly be someone’s dog? How am I supposed to find him?”

The Demon King, a non-human entity, had been increasingly appearing more frequently, but unless one ventured into the Demon World, even a mere information broker wouldn’t be able to gather readily available details.

“That was a close call.”

Had he not shared the information about the girl who could use magic in the secluded village, things would have turned disastrous.

Knowing the organization was fanatically obsessed with increasing its power, this was truly useful intelligence.

“Still, it was kind of a disappointment; I was hoping to capture her to sell.”

She was a girl who could use magic and had a decent appearance. Selling her to a slave trader could yield pretty hefty profits.

As he savored the idea, footsteps grew nearer, breaking his train of thought.

In a déjà vu situation, he squinted to discern who it was, and unexpectedly saw a small figure.

“Huh? Aren’t you the one who was with her back then?”

“Where’s Stella?”

The boy, gripping a dagger, appeared, his red pupils gleaming like blood as he stepped forward.

 

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