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A sharp ripping sound tore through the night.
The afterimage Anna left behind blurred into one seamless streak as she flashed past the soldier.
Splurt!
Blood sprayed high into the air. The man's body split clean in half.
"Haa…"
Anna tightened her grip on the blade, her breath heavy as she glanced at the corpse behind her.
"Steady yourself. All you killed was just another beast in human skin."
For a servant taking their first life, such words of comfort were necessary.
"I understand, Master."
Anna nodded, forcing her thoughts into order.
"Also… your grip and form are off. You need to make some adjustments."
Edgar conjured an ice blade in his hand and demonstrated right in front of her.
"See? Even your swing arc and timing are wrong. You should strike more like this…"
"Mm, mm!"
Anna bobbed her head rapidly, her Eye of Insight absorbing every detail as she copied him.
So this was real combat.
Deep inside her chest, a flame had been lit—a burning desire to grow stronger.
As Edgar explained, he kept moving forward, casually cutting down the soldiers rushing in.
Anna charged again, but this time her movements carried none of the clumsy hesitation of a novice.
Each stroke of her long blade tore gleaming arcs through the darkness, scattering severed limbs in her wake.
"Miss Anna, your talent for battle is… impressive," Freya murmured in astonishment.
The speed of Anna's improvement was nothing short of shocking.
Edgar didn't answer. His senses spread outward, scanning.
The kingdom's army wasn't stupid. They'd already noticed the slaughter of their troops.
Scattered squads were regrouping throughout the town.
By the time Edgar's party reached their destination, the enemy was braced and waiting.
At their head stood a burly, dark-skinned man, bald and broad-shouldered, hefting a massive cannon.
The Cannon Hero—Brett.
His expression was pitch black, his mood foul beyond words.
At first, discovering the perfect young man of his dreams had been wonderful. The fact the boy turned out to be a Hero only made it better.
But then—his old habits resurfaced. He played too rough, and ended up killing him.
And now, of all times, someone else dared come knocking at his door. It was infuriating.
"Brett…"
Anna's eyes burned with murderous intent the moment she saw him. She moved to rush forward—
—but Edgar held her back.
"This opponent is far beyond you. Leave everything to me."
Hearing her master's command, Anna stopped at once and obediently nodded.
On the other side, Brett had finally noticed the three of them.
"Only three people, and you dare—hm?"
He stopped mid-taunt, eyes widening.
"Princess Freya?"
His face lit up with sudden joy as he strode forward. "Your Highness, you're safe! That's a relief. I was just—"
But his expression froze. In the next instant, his Heroic Armament, Taslam, swung forward, cannon mouth glowing.
A low hum shook the air as overwhelming mana condensed into a visible orb.
BOOM!
The cannon roared, the explosion splitting the night.
Rippling shockwaves tore across the battlefield, flinging dirt and stone sky-high. Brett was forced back several steps, his heels gouging deep furrows into the earth.
Behind him, kingdom soldiers were sent sprawling, coughing blood as they were knocked to the ground.
The air howled with dust and smoke.
Brett's face twisted as he glared down.
"Princess Freya… what is the meaning of this?!"
He had never imagined she would strike at him.
"Or… are you planning to betray the Kingdom of Geolarl?"
Freya gave no answer. She only turned toward Edgar with a bright, eager-to-please smile.
"Mhm. I did well, didn't I?"
Edgar patted her head in approval, a satisfied grin tugging at his lips.
"Yes. Very good."
So the lessons had been sinking in after all.
Brett stood there, dumbfounded.
What… was this?
The noble princess he remembered—the one who hid sadism behind a mask of kindness and grace—was gone.
And in her place stood a girl acting like…
…a well-trained pet.
"Did you… brainwash the princess with some kind of spell?"
Brett narrowed his eyes at Edgar, gaze sharp enough to cut, as if trying to see through him.
"This was all her choice."
Edgar's lips curved into a half-smile. "I didn't force her. Isn't that right, Freya?"
"Yes, my master."
Freya lifted her staff with a serene smile. "I'll kill them all for you."
"Fifth-Tier Spell—Wind Howl!"
A surge of magic exploded upward. The night sky churned with violent winds, gathering into a colossal dragon-shaped gale.
Whoosh!
Sand and stone tore through the air as a roaring tornado descended like a furious beast from the heavens.
"What the hell is that?""Why is Princess Freya attacking us?!""Run! Run for your lives!"
Facing that storm like a calamity sent from the gods, the soldiers' courage shattered instantly.
"To think she's been twisted so completely…"
Brett's brows furrowed. In the blink of an eye, his figure flickered and vanished from sight.
Rumble!
The tornado ripped across the battlefield, a raging monster tearing everything apart. Shockwaves blasted outward, scattering limbs and painting the earth with crimson rain.
"AAAHHH—!"
Screams echoed endlessly. The kingdom's soldiers were swallowed whole in moments.
"Anna, it's your turn."
"Yes, master."
Anna's expression was cold as ice. She shot across the blood-soaked ground like a meteor, blades flashing.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Each strike bloomed into a spray of blood, every soldier in her path cleaved cleanly apart.
Edgar spared her only a glance before turning away, uninterested.
Boom!
A deafening blast ripped the night sky—an enormous magic projectile cutting through the air toward him.
"Trying a sneak attack? At least you're not completely brainless."
With a cold snort, Edgar flicked his fingers. A burst of power erupted from his hand.
Crack!
The air itself shuddered as the projectile was shattered, the backlash splitting the ground open around him.
"That attack was crushed so easily…? This man is dangerous."
Hidden in the shadows, Brett gathered more magic into his weapon. His only chance was clear.
"If I kill him, Princess Freya will be freed… That's the only way."
He wanted to run—every instinct screamed at him to—but with Freya wielding seventh-tier magic, escape was suicide.
"…Guess I'll have to go all in on this next shot."
"Did you really think hiding here meant I wouldn't notice?"
A mocking voice whispered from behind him.
"Shit!"
Brett spun around, unleashing the charged blast without hesitation.
BOOM!
The magic shell tore through the air, its destructive force shaking the earth as it screamed toward Edgar.
"Pointless."
Edgar strode forward casually. With a single punch, he smashed the projectile into nothing. His other hand flicked upward—chains of magic burst from the ground, coiling around Brett's body and binding him tight.
"Damn it—let me go!"
Brett thrashed wildly, pouring magic into his struggle, but the bindings didn't budge an inch.
Edgar ignored his protests and dragged him across the ground like a sack of grain.
By now, the battle was over.
Freya's storm had obliterated the kingdom's army—nothing remained but silence, corpses, and blood.
"Anna," Edgar said lightly, "a gift for you."
"Thank you, master."
Anna's eyes locked onto Brett, burning with hatred.
"W-What do you think you're doing?! I'm one of the Four Heroes! I'm destined to fight the Demon Lord, not—"
His words cut off in a shriek as Anna raised her blade.
"AAAAHHHHHH!"
Steel flashed again and again, filling the air with arcs of silver.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Blood sprayed like scattered flowers. Brett's body was carved open with endless wounds as he howled in agony.
The wound was gruesome, but not fatal.
Anna had done it on purpose. She didn't want him to die that easily.
With her Eye of Insight, she could strike with almost surgical precision.
Skin and flesh were sliced apart bit by bit.
Anyone else would've been dead long ago. But Brett was a Hero—his life force was far beyond ordinary.
And right now, that vitality only meant he could suffer longer.
His screams grew weaker and weaker, until finally, silence.
No one knew how long had passed. By the time it ended, his body was nothing more than a mangled ruin, as if torn apart by a thousand cuts.
Anna exhaled a shaky breath. "Hah…"
Her emotions slowly calmed as she stared at Brett's lifeless corpse. Tears rolled down her cheeks, big and heavy.
Before all this, she'd just been an ordinary girl.
The only thing keeping her standing through all this bloodshed was hatred.
In the end… this was for everyone back in town. I've avenged you.
Edgar pulled her into his arms, comforting her wordlessly.
"Thank you, Master…" Anna buried her face against his chest, her voice trembling.
"Sob… If I hadn't met you, I don't even want to think what would've happened to me…"
All the grief, all the fear, all the pain—she poured it out through tears.
Edgar said nothing, just stroked her hair with a gentle hand.
On the other side, Freya clenched her fists without realizing it. Something unexplainable swelled in her chest.
The night was still and quiet. The moon hung high.
Inside a small wooden cabin—
"Master, it's late… you must be hungry, right?" Anna offered eagerly. "What do you like to eat? My cooking's actually pretty good!"
"Anything's fine. I'll leave it up to you."
"Then just watch—I'll whip something up you'll love!"
Her face lit up as she busied herself in the kitchen.
Freya's expression turned complicated as she watched.
It hit her then: the whole journey so far, she'd never once cared for the Master. She'd just eaten whatever she liked while he looked after everything.
No more. She decided she'd learn to cook too. If she couldn't resist him, then she'd just make life better for herself.
She'd already accepted reality.
Her gaze drifted to Edgar. Her Master… he really was someone extraordinary, someone bordering on divine.
In only a few short days, her power had risen to unimaginable heights. Soon, she wouldn't even need a Hero's weapon—she could cast seventh-tier magic on her own.
After dinner, Edgar leaned back in his chair, satisfied. He had to admit, Anna wasn't exaggerating—her cooking really was excellent.
"Master, may I come in?"
"Anna? Of course, come in."
Creak—
The door opened, and Anna stepped in, her face flushed crimson.
Edgar's eyes widened slightly at the sight.
She was dressed in a black pleated skirt that perfectly showed off her curvy figure. Each step made her full silhouette ripple softly, mesmerizing like waves in motion.
You'd never guess just from her usual appearance… among my followers, only Yuzuki might surpass her.
He couldn't help but admire her for a few moments.
"M-Master…" Anna stammered, her shyness obvious under his gaze. But behind the bashfulness, her eyes shone with determination.
"Master… please help me break through to the next level."
"..."
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