2. The Spinning Wheel Of Fate (1)

***

The autumn day was not so long. As late afternoon approached, the sky turned yellow.

As the warm sunlight disappeared, a cool chill rushed in.

It was finally the last child’s turn, who had been standing in what seemed like an endless line.

Her hair, unwashed and rough like a chestnut burr, was smeared with dirt, making her look utterly disheveled.

“Maria, I’ll pray for you to get better soon.”

Liese handed a bag containing medicine to a young girl, looking deeply into her eyes.

The sparkle in her eyes was not of cheap sympathy.

She, too, had suffered through a childhood of hardship and pain…

Her concern was genuine, born of an understanding of their plight.

Because her mother couldn’t bear her father’s infidelity, she left Liese and the mistress took the lady’s place in the viscount’s house.

Liese lived a life worse than a maid, enduring violence and abuse until she left home.

“Thank you, Miss Liese.”

Liese’s empathetic heart was fully conveyed to Maria.

Maria met Liese’s gaze and smiled faintly.

Liese was different from other priests affiliated with the Holy See.

She never looked down upon or ignored the powerless and poor children of the slums.

To Liese, social status, wealth, poverty, or age did not matter.

She believed that every life given by Lumière deserved human dignity.

Because of this belief, many children of the slums found great comfort in simply being with her.

In the pitch-dark reality where nothing seemed clear.

Perhaps they too clung to the slim hope that one day they could become like Liese.

Maria turned away reluctantly, her feet not wanting to leave.

Ariel peeked out through the carriage window to see Liese distributing relief goods.

But suddenly, a man thrust his face in front of her.

“Ha ha… What brings you to such a filthy and smelly place?”

His face was marred by discontent with the world, and his voice was sinister.

Ariel hurriedly tried to close the window, but his hand stopped her.

CRACK!

He then broke the window…

Bang! Bang!

He pounded on the carriage as if he would break in at any moment.

Liese had told them not to follow.

She ordered May to go home and inform them if she didn’t return by four o’clock.

‘Was all this a death flag…’

Ariel clenched her eyes shut as she watched Liese running from a distance.

‘If only I had brought a sword. No, I should have just listened when Liese told me to stop.’

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Liese turned her head towards the source of the noise.

All eyes were focused on the loud commotion.

A drunken mob had surrounded the carriage.

They were intent on breaking the carriage to force Ariel out.

The coachman and a priest were taken aback but hesitated to approach rashly. Provoking those with nothing to lose could cause trouble for themselves as well.

‘Damn it!’

Liese bit her lower lip hard.

Given the situation, even the great Liese would hesitate. She couldn’t ignore the fear that perhaps a noble young lady who had never faced such roughness would have to endure alone.

Liese ran towards the carriage without hesitation.

‘I should have stopped her completely!’

Regret flooded Liese as she sprinted with all her might.

“What is the meaning of this!”

Liese approached and shouted at the carriage.

Ariel, who was sitting on the floor of the carriage holding the door handle to keep the door from opening, peered out through the window to assess the situation.

‘If only I hadn’t lost my mana, these ruffians would be no match for me.’

Suddenly, the thought that maybe she could easily subdue them even with her current state crossed Ariel’s mind.

She learned to overwhelmingly dominate her opponents while hunting magical beasts.

Her mana might have been sealed, but the skills honed through experience hadn’t gone anywhere, and the ruffians shaking the carriage were just drunken layabouts.

As Ariel pondered whether it was right for her to step in and clean up the situation, a faint groan escaped her lips.

“And what are you?”

One of the mobs poked and pushed Liese’s shoulder as he spoke.

“I am a priest affiliated with the Holy See. I came out today to distribute relief supplies. This carriage belongs to the Holy See. What exactly is your reason for damaging the property of the Holy See?”

In other words, it was a warning that their actions might result in the Holy See withdrawing its support.

Liese spoke calmly, as if stating her business, but how could she not be afraid.

Her legs trembled like a trembling aspen. She tensed her whole body to prevent her legs from giving out beneath her.

Besides, if she showed any sign of fear and failed to dominate the situation…

The lives of Ariel and Liese, as well as those of the coachman and other priests, would surely be in danger.

“Ha ha! A Holy See underling who distributes trash dares to teach us a lesson!”

But there was no way that Liese’s words would get through to those heavily drunken men.

It only served to irritate them further.

To think that life would end so vainly!

Their target changed. Their eyes, glittering with madness, turned towards Liese.

They approached her as if they were going to hit her at any moment.

The door burst open.

“Stop!”

Ariel, who had been watching the scene through the window, opened the door of the carriage and shouted.

Liese wouldn’t be able to withstand their assault.

It was clear that she would be knocked down by the brute’s hands if this continued.

“Don’t you want me! Leave her alone!”

“You’re well aware! Judging by your looks… you seem like you could be quite the catch.”

The one who seemed like the leader of the group said to his companions with a smile.

He stopped laughing and glared at Ariel.

But Ariel almost snorted in laughter.

For her, who had seen the eyes of a demonic beast for nearly ten years, his gaze felt like nothing more than the rebellion of an adolescent boy.

‘Mister, let’s go somewhere out of Liese’s sight first. I’ll sober you up from the alcohol.’

Ariel narrowed her eyes and looked at the gang leader, who shouted in surprise.

“Drag her away!”

At his command, two men approached and grabbed Ariel’s arms, smirking as they had sinister thoughts.

However, Ariel, feeling no fear at all, was only distressed by the foul stench emanating from them.

‘I might die of suffocation before I can even deal with you.’

Ariel, repulsed by the stench, scrunched up her face and let her body be led by their hands.

Liese, who knew nothing about Ariel, watched this scene with trembling eyes.

Although Ariel had insisted on coming here, in reality, all responsibility for this incident lay with Liese, a priest of the Holy See.

“Lady Ariel!”

Liese reached out her arms and shouted towards Ariel.

But Ariel had already been dragged away to a place beyond Liese’s reach.

The one who appeared to be the leader walked ahead, with Ariel and those who had bound her arms following behind him.

Ariel pricked up her ears but felt no sign of pursuit behind them.

Neither Liese nor any of the villagers dared to follow these thugs to save her.

It was rather a good thing. She could take care of them where no one else could see.

‘I’ll have to take the chance to snatch away any weapons they have.’

Anything that could be swung would do; it didn’t have to be a sword.

These were not formally trained knights. They were just thugs who carried swords and weapons, threatening and harming the good and weak citizens.

Ariel had the skills to handle such ruffians without even using mana, to the extent that they were no match for her.

If she could just grab anything and swing it at them, the situation would be quickly resolved.

Engrossed in such thoughts, Ariel’s face showed no sign of fear.

Even as she was being dragged away, she occasionally scrunched up her eyes and stared into the void with a cold gaze.

This was because she found it extremely unpleasant that their sticky and smelly skin was touching her clothes.

Just when Ariel was determined to get out of their grasp as soon as possible, a ‘thud’ sound came from behind.

“Stop right there.”

Then a man’s voice, filled with anger, could be heard.

Curious about who it might be, Ariel turned her head, and at the same time, the steps of the thugs stopped.

A man with a long sword at his waist entered her field of view.

He had auburn hair tied tightly up to his ears.

Was it Ariel’s mistake that there seemed to be a hint of surprise in his eyes as he looked at her?

His gaze soon shifted from Ariel to the ones who were holding her arms.

The sight of Ariel’s slender arms being held roughly seemed to magnify in his eyes.

In an instant, his face turned cold and ruthless.

With his lips pressed into a straight line, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to attack them at any moment.

Ariel, intrigued by his sudden appearance, narrowed her eyes and watched his actions.

“Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am.”

He rushed towards the vicious ones who had abducted Ariel like a predator pouncing on its prey.

In an instant, he drew his sword and cut down their legs, and blood splattered everywhere.

The gang lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.

Thanks to that, Ariel’s arms were freed.

With a face showing no emotion, she raised her hands to dust off her jacket and looked down at the fallen with contempt as she spoke.

“I never asked for this kind of favor.”

Her pupils flickered with irritation, teasing those within earshot.

It was supposed to be her role to deal with them, but she was slightly annoyed at the man who had taken the initiative.

‘Why is he taking my prey without permission? All my plans have gone down the drain.’