Episode 74
Chapter 24: Twisting Two Fates (Part 6)
“Wait a moment, Quicantel.”
“Hm?”
“You don’t actually believe those people outside the door came just to gather firewood, do you? I think they’re from the special task force.”
Quicantel was undeniably powerful—immensely so—but precisely because of that strength, he lacked even a shred of caution.
‘Looking back at his actions so far, and considering how Enya was killed in my past life, it’s clear Quicantel isn’t fit to be a protector. At least, not in this situation.’
“Special task force, huh? I’ve heard of them a few times, but why would they come after me?”
Knock, knock, knock.
The presumed task force members kept knocking on the door. Quicantel looked puzzled, as if he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about.
“It’s probably because of Enya. I think they’ve been watching this place. And when they saw you bring in an outsider, they’re trying to figure out who it is.”
It might be a stretch, but who in their right mind would come all the way out here, to a solitary log cabin deep in the forest outside the city, just to gather firewood?
Even if they were truly innocent civilians who happened to stumble upon this place, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
“If they really are the special task force, pretending we’re not home will only make things worse. Let’s check them out, and if they seem suspicious, we’ll take them down immediately.”
“Take them down? Isn’t that a bit much? Wouldn’t it be better to just make up some excuse and send them on their way?”
“No. If they’ve been spying on me, I won’t let it slide. It’s infuriating.”
Quicantel strode toward the front door.
Meanwhile, Jin took the sleeping Murakan and slipped into a side room, activating Multa’s rune, while Enya’s eyes sparkled with interest at the unfolding situation.
‘Quicantel and Enya—definitely not ordinary people…’
Creak.
Quicantel opened the door to face two sturdy men. Their loose, dirt-stained shirts and straw hats made them look like farmers, but their well-toned muscles betrayed their true nature.
“Speak the truth. Are you special task force members?”
The men shook their heads, unfazed by Quicantel’s blunt tone.
“What are you talking about?”
“If we offended you by showing up unannounced, we apologize. We’re just farmers living in the forest down below. We suddenly ran out of firewood…”
Jin listened quietly, thinking to herself:
‘These guys are going to get chewed out big time and write dozens of reports when they get back.’
It was common for special task force members to disguise themselves depending on the time and place to avoid detection.
In that sense, these supposed task force members were a complete failure. Claiming to have come all this way just for firewood in the middle of a forest was ridiculous, and their disguises were sloppy at best.
They were probably rookies, the lowest of the low, just assigned to the task force.
‘This really shows how lightly Bimant treats Quicantel and Enya. But still… are they really special task force?’
Thunk! Crack!
Just as Jin was thinking this, heavy blows landed.
Quicantel was beating the uninvited guests.
“I gave you a chance to tell the truth, yet you dared to lie…”
Peeking out, Jin saw Quicantel mercilessly pummeling the men. They hadn’t even managed to resist properly and were completely subdued after the first hit.
“Ugh!”
“Where do you think you’re spraying blood like that?”
The brutal beating continued, and moments later, Quicantel dragged the two limp men by their collars into the living room. They looked utterly pitiful.
“When did you start spying on me?”
“We—we’re not special task force!”
“What? Then who sent you?”
“I did.”
A different voice spoke—from inside the house.
Right beside Jin.
‘What?! I didn’t sense a thing…!’
Startled, Jin stepped back from the man.
He wore a tight blue uniform and a red mask covering his face—the uniform of Bimant’s special task force. And as far as Jin knew, the red mask was reserved only for squad leaders.
Quicantel, also surprised, released the collars of the men he’d been beating.
“Oh? So you’re the special task force member. Did you send these guys ahead to draw my attention so you could come inside?”
“You two should leave now.”
The men who had been talking about firewood took off running.
Just as Quicantel was about to shoot a magical arrow at their backs with his fingers, the special task force member spoke quietly.
“Killing them would cause you trouble. Other task force members will be dispatched as well.”
“Is that so? Then maybe I’ll see what trouble feels like.”
“If you insist, I won’t stop you.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Quicantel withdrew his hand.
“Fine. If I’m going to kill a human, it should be you, not them.”
The man remained calm despite Quicantel’s genuine murderous intent.
No wonder—Jin could tell at a glance that his skill was at least rank 8, and Quicantel must have realized the same.
‘That curved sword… I’ve heard of it before in my past life.’
There was only one person in Bimant’s special task force who wielded a curved sword.
Codename: Rats. Leader of the third squad. A trusted retainer of the Bimant Emperor, often mentioned in Runcandel as a skilled swordsman.
Being recognized as a swordsman in Runcandel meant he was unquestionably powerful.
‘Good thing I covered my face with Multa’s rune. That could’ve gone badly.’
Rats gave Quicantel a slight nod.
“If I offended you, I apologize. I needed to personally verify who the guest you smuggled in was. Now that I’ve confirmed, I’ll be leaving.”
Rats didn’t ask who Jin and Murakan were.
Even if he did, Quicantel wouldn’t tell, and it was his job to investigate their identities after leaving.
“Apologizing for spying on me won’t end this. And who said you could just leave?”
Quicantel threw a punch.
Rats didn’t dodge, offering his face instead. Even after the solid hit, he stood like a statue, seemingly unaffected.
“Oh? Not bad. For a human, you’re quite capable. Is that why you’re so cocky?”
“If this helps you calm down, I suggest you stop.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll have to fight back. My orders don’t include keeping Miss Enya alive.”
Rats glanced subtly toward Enya as he spoke. Enya, who had been watching with curious eyes, froze like ice the moment their gazes met.
It was a threat. If a fight broke out now, Quicantel might survive, but Enya would surely die. It was also a negotiation—Rats didn’t want to fight and was asking to be let go.
A perfect move. No matter how fiery Quicantel’s temper, he wouldn’t risk Enya’s life to fight.
No matter how strong Rats was, defeating Quicantel one-on-one was impossible. But if they fought in this cramped space, Enya’s safety couldn’t be guaranteed.
If only Murakan were awake. For now, it was better to quietly defuse the situation.
“Then, until next time.”
Rats passed Quicantel and started walking outside. As soon as he stepped out, he vanished suddenly, seemingly using some special technique.
“Damn it…!”
Quicantel fumed. She felt not only watched by the Bimant Empire but also toyed with.
“I was an idiot to leave Enya in this cursed place all this time. Haah, Jin Runcandel. If you and Murakan hadn’t come, who knows what would’ve happened to Enya. They were watching not just her, but my every move…!”
Enya looked dazed, clearly shaken.
“T-That person just now… you were so scary.”
It was on a whole different level from the bullying she’d faced at the magic academy. Facing the murderous intent of an 8-star knight head-on.
“Little brother! We have to bring him with us. Jin, let’s leave today…!”
“Go with Quicantel. It’s best to board the Tikan trade ship first thing in the morning.”
Her only luggage was a small bundle.
No different from what she usually took to the academy, it was all Enya packed when she decided to leave Bimant.
With the bundle on her back, she tightly held the hand of her seven-year-old younger brother, Finte, and hugged their pet dog.
Her eyes were wide with fear.
“Um, Lord Gongja, do you really think we won’t get caught? After meeting that person yesterday, I was so scared I couldn’t sleep…”
Jin could only say this:
“Even if we get caught, I’ll make sure nothing happens to you or your family. Trust me. The sooner we get out of here, the safer you’ll be.”
Jin believed the Bimant special task force hadn’t been watching Enya up close.
No matter how careless Quicantel was, he wouldn’t fail to notice someone tailing or spying on him at close range.
‘Until Rats showed up, even Murakan hadn’t sensed anything. We were probably detected by the aerial surveillance network when we entered with Quicantel, and then the task force was dispatched.’
Besides, Bimont would surely expect Quikantel to be on edge after yesterday’s incident. From their perspective, there was no benefit in provoking Quikantel further.
They also wouldn’t anticipate Enya slipping out of the country today. Skipping the academy would seem perfectly reasonable to them—just a natural reaction to some mental shock.
“Don’t worry, just head to the ship. Above all, Quikantel won’t leave this house or stir up any trouble. The idea of Enya sneaking out alone? That’s unthinkable. And Murakan—the cat—will be watching your back.”
Since Jin couldn’t reveal his identity, he couldn’t personally escort Enya to the trading ship.
Instead, Murakan, who had transformed into a cat, was assigned to protect Enya just in case. If the special task force caught wind of Enya’s secret departure and tried to intervene, Murakan would block their way.
Of course, Jin was confident that wouldn’t happen. The harbor was connected to a bustling district.
In a crowd of thousands, pinpointing Enya’s family’s exact location in real time would be impossible without close surveillance.
“Master Gong…”
“Don’t be fooled by appearances—he’s a mighty Black Dragon. We’ll meet again soon in Tikan, Enya. And you too, Pinte.”
Enya bit her lip tightly and gave a small nod in return.
Then she slipped out of Quikantel’s log cabin and walked toward the city center. The route was no different from her usual path to the academy.
Though, of course, Enya wasn’t headed to the magic academy today, nor was Pinte going to elementary school.