Crimson Flame (2)
The fox was dragged along helplessly.
Her body felt strange.
Her head was dizzy, her legs were wobbly, and even her eyes couldn't focus.
It seemed she had been injected with a sleeping drug.
It was a tactic often used when transporting ferocious slaves.
'Damn it.'
A drug potent enough to knock out even a bear beastkin in one shot.
It was no wonder her consciousness was wavering.
Irene struggled to keep her eyelids open, fighting to stay awake.
A new scene came into view through her blurry vision.
"······."
What caught her eye were rows of iron bars.
It was a prison for slaves.
Despite being inside a ship, its scale was by no means small.
It seemed to occupy an entire floor, tightly packed with hundreds of slaves.
The fox quickly racked her brain.
'There's no time.'
This was not the time to dawdle.
If the ship set sail like this, everything would become irreversible.
No one would be able to find the girl.
'Maybe... it has already set sail.'
It was the most despairing scenario.
She didn't know how much time had passed since she lost consciousness, but she could only pray it hadn't been long.
In the end, her only chance to escape was now.
The Hound was away from his post.
'It's worth a try.'
The guards on either side seemed to be letting their guard down.
They seemed to trust the effects of the sleeping drug.
Even if she was caught while escaping, they wouldn't kill her because of the businessman's orders.
She would probably just get a few hits that wouldn't leave any visible marks.
For such a small risk, it was a gamble worth taking.
"Hoo..."
She calmly exhaled.
She focused on her senses.
Her vision was blurry from the terrible headache, but it was a moment she had to shake off.
Irene suddenly shoved one of the guards beside her.
Thud-!
"Ugh...?!"
Crash-!
As one guard fell, the other rushed towards her, grabbing his sword.
She knew it was only for intimidation.
That's why she didn't back down.
She aggressively pushed her body forward, aiming for the opponent's weak spot.
Confusion clouded the guard's eyes.
'Got him.'
A sword that couldn't be drawn was nothing more than a handcuff sealing his own hands.
He wouldn't have the courage to disobey orders.
"Damn it...!"
The guard dropped his sword in frustration.
He belatedly threw a punch, but it couldn't be faster than the fox who had already closed the distance.
Her swiftly launched foot pierced his solar plexus.
"Cough!"
The guard groaned and then stumbled to the ground.
A clean hit, perfectly landed.
The girl immediately started running.
In her hand was the sword the guard had dropped.
With a few slashes, she cut the ropes binding her body.
"Damn it! The merchandise is escaping!"
"Don't let her get away!"
Several guards chased after her from behind.
Leaving their sharp shouts behind, Irene ran with all her might.
Searching for an exit somewhere.
***
Meanwhile.
The Hound, who was in the reception room, received the news belatedly.
The fox they had captured just a few hours ago was causing a commotion, having evaded the guards.
He suppressed his rising anger and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"These idiotic bastards... can't even manage a single fox that's out of strength?"
The Hound gritted his teeth.
He couldn't understand it.
He had clearly administered the sleeping drug, so how could she be moving around consciously?
It was a drug strong enough to instantly subdue even the notoriously ferocious bear beastkin.
An average beastkin shouldn't be able to open their eyes for at least half a day.
'Tsk... did I let my guard down because of such thoughts?'
The Hound clicked his tongue.
As he sighed in annoyance, a voice suddenly came from across the room.
It was the 'guest' he was supposed to meet today.
"Has something troublesome occurred?"
"Mind your own business."
"Your expression doesn't look good."
"It's our business. Even if we're allies, you should know when to butt in and when not to."
"I see. I apologize if I caused any offense."
The guest bowed respectfully.
A neatly tailored suit, cleanly designed glasses, well-groomed green hair.
He was a young man with a striking neat appearance.
"However, it seems that it is a matter I should be involved in."
"What?"
"We have formed an alliance. Moreover, I understand that most of the goods on this ship were ordered by my lord."
"So what?"
"This means that if there is a disturbance on this ship, we have sufficient grounds to intervene."
"······."
He refuted him politely and articulately.
He was a truly annoying four-eyes.
The Hound, who had been staring at the guest silently, eventually got up from his seat as if giving up.
He was going to catch the escaped fox.
"I'm leaving my seat for a moment."
"Are you going to deal with the problem you mentioned earlier?"
"What if I am?"
"I will accompany you. I will assist if there is anything I can do."
"I clearly told you to mind your own business... Oh, whatever. Do as you please."
"Thank you."
The two slowly exited the reception room.
As they walked leisurely, the guest walking beside him asked with a puzzled look.
"Aren't you being too relaxed? It seemed like a rather urgent matter."
"It's fine."
The Hound replied with an annoyed look.
"She can't escape anyway."
"Well, that's true."
"The underlings will probably corner her somewhere, and we'll just go there, beat her up a bit, and capture her."
"Is it alright to use violence? I heard she's a top-grade product."
"I don't know, damn it. If I get scolded, I get scolded. It's fine as long as we don't kill her."
"I respect your decision."
The two exchanged light conversation.
Only the sound of their steady footsteps echoed through the dark hallway for a while.
***
Irene ran.
She crossed the vast space, sprinted through long corridors, and jumped over stairs scattered here and there.
She didn't look back.
She just ran with all her might, her feet pounding the ground.
She felt like she would collapse due to her hazy consciousness, but she forced her wobbly legs to keep moving.
If she stumbled even once, it would all be over.
"Pant, pant...!"
She breathed heavily.
Moving her body while under the influence of the sleeping drug required tremendous mental strength.
Irene clung to her fading consciousness.
"There she is!"
"Damn it! Block her exit!"
It wasn't just running.
There were guards constantly blocking her path.
Every time her path was blocked, Irene had to change direction or raise her sword to cut down the opponent in front of her.
It was the desperate run of a fugitive.
"Damn it...!"
The ship was as if several passenger ships had been added to its sides.
Thanks to its vast space, she could change directions here and there, but she couldn't avoid direct confrontation every time.
Collisions were inevitable.
"Damn it! Of all days, why today, when the security force is at its lowest...!"
"Stop talking nonsense and follow her!"
"She's coming this way! Block the stairs on the other side!"
Two guards appeared from an alley.
The stairs on the other side were already blocked.
It seemed she had to break through this time.
Irene calmly raised her sword.
She regained her composure.
She couldn't afford to slow down.
Instead of her usual heavy blows, she prepared for a series of light attacks that she could unleash quickly.
Her sword flashed along the swiftly launched flow.
Clang!
The first clash, a light collision.
The girl didn't panic and let the sword flow, then spun around and cut the opponent down.
The sensation of flesh being cut by her fingertips spread a tingling numbness.
Slash-!
It was a shallow cut, but there was no need to take his life.
What was important to Irene now was not 'victory' but 'escape'.
"You little...!"
The fox's movements were too fast to be seen with the naked eye.
By the time the startled guard reacted belatedly, her blade had already reached his arm.
A thrust without hesitation.
Stab-!
"Argh!!"
The guard screamed as the sword pierced his arm.
It seemed to be firmly embedded.
The girl let go of the hilt without hesitation.
Instead, she picked up the sword the man had dropped and continued her sprint.
Her hands were stained with sticky blood.
"Gasp, ugh...!"
This chase had already been going on for 30 minutes.
Perhaps because she was pushing her exhausted body too hard, her stamina was depleting faster than expected.
The only fortunate thing was that she was almost at the exit.
If she remembered correctly.
The ship's exit was located on the top floor.
It was a faint memory, but there was an open-air space, so she was sure to encounter it if she traversed the top floor.
It was impossible to see outside from within the ship.
This was because there wasn't a single window in the vast space.
"Ha...!"
Irene had no choice but to clear her mind and keep running.
She prayed that the ship hadn't set sail yet.
That it was still docked at the pier.
Even if it had already set sail, it was fine.
If it was within a distance she could swim back from, she could overcome it.
Irene continued her fierce struggle.
Finally.
The exit appeared before her.
Actually, it was more like the ship's rooftop than an exit, but anywhere she could escape from was fine.
Irene cut down the last guard blocking her path.
And then, she stepped out into the open air.
However.
"Wel~come, I've been waiting."
"You've finally arrived."
As soon as she stepped outside, she saw two people.
One was the Hound in a gray robe.
The other was an unidentified young man in a suit.
Irene couldn't help but stop running.
"······."
"Why that expression? Did you really have any expectations?"
As she stood there blankly, the Hound's sneer echoed in her ears.
His hateful lips curled into a mocking smile.
"I told you, you can't escape."
"······."
Wheeew-.
Her crimson hair fluttered in the blowing wind.
The girl's eyes were shaking.
Her gaze was not fixed on the two people in front of her, but on the blue backdrop beyond them.
Irene let out a small sigh.
"Ah..."
Waves surrounded them on all sides.
She scanned her surroundings with a glimmer of hope, but there was no sign of land.
That's right.
Swoooosh-.
The ship was in the middle of the ocean.
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