The number of thugs appeared to be at least ten.
“Hey there,” said the largest of the group, raising a hand in a casual greeting as he swaggered toward us.
“How about making a donation to us instead of the temple?”
In his other hand, he held a massive sword, its blade coated in black paint.
“If you hand over all your valuables, we might just let you live. Isn’t that more generous than the gods?”
As if on cue, the other thugs began to draw their weapons one by one.
‘What’s going on here? These are just back-alley ruffians, so why do they all have swords?’
In the empire, it was illegal to carry a sword unless you were a soldier or a licensed mercenary.
The situation was more serious than I’d anticipated, and I felt my fingers grow cold.
“You wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty face of yours, would you? Better cooperate,” one of the thugs sneered, noticing the fear in my eyes.
They began to laugh, clearly pleased with themselves, but their mirth was short-lived. Everett, who had been watching them with a calm, almost bored expression, suddenly grew cold.
“Judging by how you hold your swords, I’d say you’re former imperial soldiers,” Everett remarked, his voice icy.
The thugs visibly flinched at his words.
‘That reaction says it all.’
There had been rumors that some discharged imperial soldiers had stayed in the capital instead of returning to their hometowns, getting involved in various criminal activities.
‘Gambling away their victory bonuses or finding themselves short on funds…’
It seemed these men were part of that unfortunate group, those who had chosen to seek fortune in the shadows rather than lead an honest life.
Realizing they had shown too much fear, the thugs resumed their cocky attitudes, trying to regain control.
“And what’s it to you?”
Everett merely smiled, a cold, dangerous curve of his lips. “I’ll make sure you pay the price for daring to use imperial weapons in a robbery.”
Despite being unarmed and outnumbered, Everett remained completely composed.
“You hear that? This gentleman here says he’s going to make us pay.”
The thugs tried to mock him, but it was clear they were already intimidated by Everett’s sheer presence.
Everett’s smile deepened, becoming even more chilling.
“Miss Diaz, if you’re scared, you might want to turn around and cover your ears.”
With a light touch on my shoulder, Everett began to walk forward slowly.
Some of the thugs instinctively stepped back, only to stop themselves and stand their ground, clearly unsure of what to do.
“Sir Rojas,” I whispered, trying to call him back, but Everett didn’t respond, acting as though he hadn’t heard me.
‘He’ll be alright, won’t he?’
I bit my lower lip as I cautiously stepped back, praying silently for Everett’s safety.
The emperor had once told me that he only kept the most skilled people around him. If Everett was part of that circle, then he should be more than capable of handling a group of street thugs. Still, I couldn’t help but worry.
“Yaaaah!” One of the thugs, realizing there was no way out, charged at Everett with his sword raised.
Everett calmly stepped forward, catching the thug’s arm and twisting it sharply.
“Ugh.”
The thug’s sword fell to the ground as his arm bent at an unnatural angle.
Without hesitation, Everett hooked his foot under the sword’s hilt and kicked it into the air, catching it in one fluid motion.
Now armed, Everett swung the blackened blade with a chilling grace. In his dark attire, he looked like a cursed knight emerging from the shadows, exuding an aura of danger.
The thug who had charged him staggered back, clutching his broken arm, while the others cursed and bickered among themselves, realizing they had underestimated their opponent.
But Everett gave them no time to regroup.
With each swing of his sword, another thug fell to the ground, blood pooling beneath them in the faint moonlight.
I couldn’t help but let out a small whimper at the sight.
Hearing me, Everett clicked his tongue in irritation. “I told you not to watch, Miss Diaz.”
He glanced at me briefly, his golden eyes cold as the surface of the moon.
I took a step back instinctively, but his gaze quickly returned to the remaining thugs.
“I’ll have to finish this quickly.”
What followed was a one-sided slaughter.
In no time, only one thug remained standing.
“P-Please, don’t come any closer,” the last thug stammered, stumbling backward as Everett approached.
“I refuse,” Everett replied, his tone almost playful, like a mischievous child.
The thug, trembling, swung his sword wildly, but Everett deflected the attacks with ease, meeting each strike with a loud, ringing clash of metal.
It was a battle of strength, and the outcome was clear. The thug’s sword flew from his grasp, and he fell to his knees, clutching his wrist.
Everett twirled his sword casually, whistling as he did.
That’s when it happened.
One of the thugs, who had been playing dead, suddenly sprang up and lunged at me.
He had taken advantage of the distance between Everett and me, moving far too quickly for me to react.
‘No!’
I tried to scream, but the words caught in my throat. I tried to run toward Everett, but the thug was faster, grabbing me by the hair before I could take more than a few steps.
“Gotcha,” he panted, laughing maniacally as he held me tight.
I could smell the blood on his hand where he’d been cut by Everett’s sword.
The thug fumbled inside his coat for a small knife, pressing it to my neck.
“Shh, stay still. We need to survive too, you know,” he growled in my ear.
* * *
Edwin dealt a swift blow to the back of the thug he was fighting, knocking him out cold.
Then he turned toward the thug who had taken Lina hostage, his face a mask of fury.
“Don’t come any closer!” the thug screamed, pressing the knife harder against Lina’s neck.
Lina’s face was growing paler by the second.
‘I should have finished him off instead of showing mercy,’ Edwin thought, cursing his momentary lapse in judgment.
How long had it been since he’d been away from the battlefield? He was already becoming soft.
“Tell me your demands,” Edwin spat, though he had no intention of meeting them. He was merely buying time, waiting for an opportunity to rescue Lina.
‘The knife is small, so even if her carotid artery is nicked, I can save her.’
He thought of the vial of holy water he always kept hidden in his coat, his expression deliberately careless.
The thug, who seemed to believe they were a couple, was visibly thrown off by Edwin’s unexpected attitude.
If Edwin decided to attack, disregarding Lina’s safety, it would be over for the thug.
“Don’t think I won’t slit her throat!” the thug barked, pressing the blade tighter against Lina’s neck.
A thin line of blood appeared where the knife touched her skin.
Despite her fear, Lina held back her screams, tears welling in her eyes, determined not to provoke her captor further.
“Go ahead,” Edwin taunted, smirking as if he didn’t care.
The thug’s hand began to shake uncontrollably.
Edwin met Lina’s tear-filled violet eyes, sending her a silent message.
‘Hang in there, just a little longer.’
Lina, understanding his intent, gave a barely perceptible nod.
Her face, which had been drained of color, began to regain some of its usual warmth. The fear in her eyes was gradually replaced by a steely resolve.
‘She’s brave,’ Edwin thought, silently commending her.
Then, Lina did something unexpected.
She slowly raised her hand, making sure the thug didn’t notice, and blinked at Edwin.
‘What are you doing?’ Edwin was taken aback but quickly understood. He needed to keep the thug’s attention on him.
“What’s wrong? Losing your nerve?”
The thug, already on edge, fell right into the trap, focusing all his attention on Edwin.
At that moment, Lina seized the thug’s wounded arm and dug her nails into it with all her strength.
“Argh!”
The thug’s grip on the knife loosened just enough.
“Carolina, get down!”
As soon as Edwin saw Lina drop to the ground, he swung his sword.
Lina’s violet eyes sparkled with surprise and relief.
‘Did that really work?’ she seemed to say.
For the first time in his life, Edwin experienced a feeling he could only describe as “utter disbelief.”
But he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.
This time, there was no hesitation in his strike.
He ensured that the thug wouldn’t pose a threat again.
