Chapter 14

As the saying goes: ^[1]“enemies meet with especially red eyes” (仇人见面分外眼红) is a Chinese idiom that means, When enemies meet, emotions run especially high—often with anger, hatred, or intense … Continue readingenemies meet with especially red eyes.

Talli might not have taken Mustafa seriously, but Mustafa definitely didn’t see it that way.

She didn’t choose him. She left him to suffer, to endure torment and abuse in the black market, and instead picked a sickly, half-dead creature. And not only that—she ignored him even when he lowered his head. She trampled the dignity of the royal bloodline right into the dirt…

Talli was someone he deeply resented.

When Theresa arrived at the rest area, she also noticed Talli. After a moment’s hesitation, she softly called out, “…Talli.”

“Mm.”

Talli nodded, saying nothing else.

“……”

“So rude.”

“Look at her—doesn’t she know the Saintess was giving her face by greeting her first? I really don’t know how a… someone like her has the nerve to put on airs here.”

“…She’s just disgracing the Fred family.”

A flurry of whispers broke out.

Talli’s expression didn’t change, but Theresa’s face turned red first. She had thin skin and a sensitive heart—those remarks, even though aimed at Talli, made her uncomfortable. She felt bad herself, and was even more worried that Talli would feel hurt.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but seemed to think of something and deflated, turning her face away and nervously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.

…Who knows what was going on in her head.

Talli listened as the others praised Theresa and subtly or not-so-subtly belittled her, and couldn’t make sense of the complicated look on Theresa’s face.

But she didn’t dwell on it either. The area was crowded—if needed, she could just move elsewhere.

She picked up the little fox, grabbed her backpack with her other hand, and went to sit off to the side.

A cool breeze gently blew by, very refreshing—except when she passed Mustafa. That creature stared at her like a poisoned needle, gaze sharp and venomous.

Compared to all the nobles’ gossip, his stare was far more lethal.

Talli paused, turned back, and met those savage, gloomy eyes head-on, glaring fiercely in return.

He froze for a split second. Then, seemingly provoked by Talli, he arched his back, tensed up, his sharp claws digging into the ground. The fur near his cheeks bristled as if ready to lash out—but he could do nothing to her.

Talli walked off triumphantly and sat down in a shaded spot nearby.

Still holding Mustafa’s leash, Theresa didn’t seem to notice her magic beast’s sudden reaction. After standing still for a moment, she walked over and sat down to Talli’s right.

Just like the curly-haired girl before, she noticed the blue fox beside Talli. Its fur was so unique in color, and after a few days of recovery by Talli’s side, it looked much livelier—brimming with spirit and intelligence, always catching people’s eyes.

“Is that your magic beast?”

Theresa casually set down the leash and subtly scooted a little closer to Talli—also getting a bit closer to the fox lying between them.

“Yes.”

“It looks really cute,” Theresa said happily, glad she’d found a new topic. “What’s its name?”

“…I haven’t named it yet,” Talli paused for a moment before answering.

It had been days, and she’d actually forgotten about that.

Should she name it “Zuo Zuo”? Or “Mimi“?

Talli started seriously thinking about it.

Theresa seemed amused. “My magic beast is named ‘Moss’—it was engraved on the nameplate when I received it as a gift.”

…Well, you’ll find out eventually that it’s called “Mustafa.”

Talli thought absentmindedly as she glanced at the huge beast. It was still staring at her with that menacing, oppressive gaze, full of barely hidden hostility.

As soon as it locked eyes with Talli, its pupils narrowed, body lowered again, hind paws scraping at the ground, and a low, guttural growl came from its throat.

…That seems a little dangerous.

But generally speaking, when magic beasts are sold to their buyers, they come with a magical collar. For large beasts, there’s also a leash for the handler’s control.

Used together, these two things are usually enough for any rational owner to control a beast with ease.

—Wait a second.

Talli’s gaze shifted.

She saw the leash that Theresa had placed off to the side.

And Theresa didn’t seem to notice anything unusual yet.

Theresa tucked some hair behind her ear, bent down slightly, and reached out her hand. “Talli, can I pet this little blue fox?”

Talli’s lips moved.

But Theresa didn’t catch what she said, because the fox—graceful and aloof—stood up from the cushion and walked over to Talli’s other side.

Theresa’s hand froze awkwardly in midair.

Her face turned a little embarrassed, and she silently pulled her hand back.

Just as she was about to look up to see if anyone had witnessed that scene—

Suddenly, it was like thunder erupted in her ears. Screams, frantic footsteps, and beastly roars all exploded at once!

“ROAR—!”

Theresa’s mind went completely blank for two seconds, still unable to process what was happening—when the hot, bloody, feral stench of the beast flooded her nose.

“Get out of the way!”

Talli shouted sharply, stepping in front of her.

“Clang!”

With lightning speed, the girl drew a dagger from the strap on her calf, clashing head-on against the magic beast’s flashing claws!

Theresa was so stunned she forgot how to speak or move—completely frozen in fear. By the time she came to her senses, her entire body was already trembling uncontrollably.

Her lips were pale, trembling as she murmured, “T-Talli…”

But in just those few seconds, Talli had nearly exhausted all her strength.

Her arms and legs were shaking, and Mustafa’s razor-sharp claws were inches from her eyes—less than a hair’s breadth away.

Clenching her teeth, cold sweat pouring from her forehead, she finally lowered her head and shouted, “…Carl!! Where are you? Come get your sister!”

At this point, everyone else had backed far away. Theresa was the only one still close to Talli.

And Theresa had only just received this wild wolf-like beast. Its tameness and loyalty hadn’t been fully established yet, meaning even she wasn’t completely safe. Being this close, the chances of her getting hurt by accident were dangerously high. When magic beasts go berserk, they don’t discriminate.

…And more importantly, Theresa’s presence here—due to her protagonist “aura”—had a direct effect on Mustafa. It increased the male lead’s hatred toward Talli and made the beast even more violent.

Seeing that Theresa, who was trembling from fear, had finally been taken away, Talli finally let out a breath of relief. She shifted her position—her blade scraped harshly against Mustafa’s claw with a teeth-gritting screech. Talli dodged to the side, and Mustafa pounced into empty air.

It immediately turned around, locking onto Talli again with deadly precision.

Talli suddenly remembered her brooch was still in her backpack—and nearly had a heart attack from rage.

Someone had run off to call an instructor, but most people stayed far from the fight, simply watching like spectators.

While evading Mustafa’s attacks, Talli circled around to a bench, grabbed her backpack, and began frantically searching through it.

…No luck.

Behind her, a massive shadow loomed.

Talli’s whole body went stiff for a moment.

She didn’t turn around—but she could feel the oppressive pressure of the beast bearing down directly on her.

“Talli—!!!”

Someone was shouting frantically from far away, running toward her.

But it was too late.

Even if Talli ducked and rolled with lightning speed, she wouldn’t be able to avoid this blow. The massive beast could smash through tables and rooftops with ease. If it hit her, she’d be buried under the rubble.

Talli’s hands and feet went ice cold. She couldn’t help but close her eyes.

Then, at that exact moment—

The blue fox leapt—light and swift—onto her shoulder.

Her shoulder sank under the weight.

Deritz lifted his eyes coolly. Facing a magic beast more than ten times his size, he calmly flicked his tail and narrowed his crimson eyes.

In that instant, Mustafa felt as though the pressure of the world’s very laws had come crashing down on him—like a crushing mountain weighing heavily on his back.

Without a moment’s pause or the slightest struggle, it dropped flat to the ground, pressing into the dirt by three inches!

That overwhelming, absolute power made Mustafa submit instinctively—before he even realized what was happening.

…What was that?

How could this be?

His mind felt rusted, stuck, unable to turn or think.

It was just a fox, wasn’t it? Just a while ago, it looked like it was on the brink of death… So why? What happened?!

He had only just tried to lift a front paw when a force as heavy as ten thousand pounds slammed down, pinning him even deeper into the ground, locking him completely in place.

…He couldn’t fight back at all.

Mustafa’s mother was of the demon royal bloodline. His own lineage was incredibly powerful—far beyond that of ordinary demons.

But even he, with all that strength, had no way to resist this creature.

This terrifying power—he had never seen anything like it.

…What is it exactly?!

“Talli, Talli—”

Before the girl collapsed, Deritz had already nimbly leapt down.

Carl and Theresa arrived one after the other—Theresa was already crying in panic, her eyes red, and it looked like she had twisted her ankle. A servant who had rushed over was supporting her as she was taken away.

Soon after, an instructor arrived. A few academy guards worked together to haul over a massive cage, dug Mustafa out, and locked him inside to be taken away.

The students were quickly evacuated, moved far from the area.

Only chaos was left behind.

Talli sat on a half-collapsed chair, covered in dust, eyes closed, leaning against the backrest and trying to catch her breath. The terrifying roar and that hot, bloody stench still seemed to echo around her. Her limbs were still weak and powerless.

She couldn’t muster any strength.

…She vaguely remembered, in that final moment, the soft brush of fur against her cheek.

Was it him? The one who jumped onto her shoulder at that time. How did he do it?

What exactly happened in that instant?

She limped after the medical staff, cradling her arm as she walked with difficulty. After a dozen steps, she turned back and saw the little fox slowly and calmly following behind.

It met Talli’s suspicious gaze without a hint of guilt.

Carl, who had grabbed her backpack, hurried to catch up, his expression filled with unease. “…Are you okay?”

Talli weakly asked, “Did you see what just happened?”

“We were too far away,” Carl shook his head. “I couldn’t see clearly.”

Talli said nothing more.

Her instincts told her—this fox wasn’t nearly as simple as it looked.

—

After the group had left—

A metal brooch lay quietly beneath the ruins, its sheen dulled by dust. If you looked closely, several faint claw marks could be seen etched across the gem’s surface.