Seeing this scene, the surrounding thugs all froze for a moment. A seemingly ordinary girl—with no detectable supernatural aura—had suddenly drawn a rapier at such a moment?
Had she lost her mind? Or did she have some hidden advantage?
As professional hired muscle, they didn't underestimate Hel. Without waiting for Fubot's orders, they all charged toward her at once.
Even a master can be beaten to death by a swarm—this principle held true even for low-ranked transcendent beings like them.
Countless clubs swung at Hel from all angles.
But Hel simply moved with nimble precision, unleashing dozens of arcs of silver light—each slash as precise as a surgeon's scalpel.
In the next instant, the seven men at the front collapsed to the ground. Some clutched bleeding wrists, while others rolled on the floor holding their shattered knees.
The entire shift happened in the blink of an eye. By the time the thugs behind Hel realized the front line had fallen, Hel was already standing right before them.
A few more flashes of silver—and those five shared the same fate.
Seeing this, Fubot finally panicked. Yet, for the sake of noble etiquette, he forced himself to remain composed and said:
"It seems your origins are not simple. So young, yet possessing such strength…Are you from the royal house? Or a duke's family? But if you're from high nobility—why betray your own class?"
"Who knows?"
Herr lightly flicked the blood from her rapier and stepped toward Fubot.
When she reached him, Fubot's earlier false bravado vanished, replaced by a mocking smirk.
He quickly pulled a hidden lever on the table. From beneath the carpet, several sharp mithril spears suddenly shot upward, forming a cage around Hel.
A thick mithril plate dropped from the ceiling right after, locking onto the spears and sealing the cage completely. The spear tips hooked into the plate's slots, creating a reinforced mithril prison around her.
Fubot's triumphant voice echoed through the room.
"Did you really think taking out a few useless Tier-2 trash makes you impressive? I'm starting to doubt you come from nobility at all. This kind of trap is common knowledge in noble estates, and you still fell for it—such a waste of my carefully prepared backup plan."
He placed his hand back on the table, and several magical scrolls appeared in his grip. Judging by the material, the spells sealed inside were definitely high-grade.
"Give up. This cage is made of pure mithril. The cost of the materials alone was a hundred thousand gold—let alone the crafting expenses. High-end goods like this aren't something a pauper like you would ever see."
"Is that so?"
Hel's lips curved upward. Life-attribute mana surged through the elemental conversion array within her, transforming into pure life-attribute battle aura that she poured into her rapier.
The sword immediately changed—its plain exterior peeling away as golden light seeped through the coating.
Hel swung lightly.
Two arcs of silver descended onto the bars of the mithril cage.
Her rapier cut through the mithril like a hot knife slicing butter—smooth, effortless.
Clang.
Only when several bars fell to the ground under their own weight, ringing sharply on the floor, did Fubot finally react.
His eyes widened with confusion as he stared at Hel.
"You… you're with the Church?"
"Who knows?"
Hel neither confirmed nor denied it—doing her best to mess with his nerves.
Hearing this, Fubot became even more convinced that Hel was with the Church. He even thought she might be the infamous Church butcher—the Holy Judicator Knight.
At that thought, his body trembled uncontrollably.
Did the Church discover something?
He stared at Hel, hoping to read some clue from her expression. At the same time, he spoke cautiously:
"Esteemed one… sir—no, milady—May I ask what business brings you to the Geddes family? My uncle and High Bishop Horst of Savent City share a very good relationship."
"Why I came here?"
Hel laughed softly, raised her rapier, and pointed it at his nose.
"Didn't you have me brought here? I was walking just fine when your men kidnapped me and set up an ambush. If you want to know why I came, shouldn't you be the one explaining that?"
"Th—this… honored one, that was indeed our mistake. I will give you a satisfying explanation. I only hope you will give me a chance to apologize."
"A chance to apologize? Sure, why not."
Fubot let out a sigh of relief.
So easy? Does that mean she isn't a Judicator Knight—just a Church prodigy out on training? No wonder she didn't target vital points when fighting earlier—she must still be inexperienced.
But Hel's next words yanked his heart back into his throat.
"I happen to be going to the Garden Nation. And I heard the Geddes family's headquarters is there. I need a guide. If you're willing to be that guide…I might consider forgiving you."
"T-this…"
Fubot hesitated.
Had the Holy Church discovered something? Does she really just need a guide… or is this a fishing operation to make me reveal more weaknesses?
He racked his brain for answers. But the situation left no room for refusal—Hel's blade was already pressed to his forehead. If he dared say "no," he'd be bidding farewell to the world.
But at that moment—a magic circle flared beneath Hel's feet.
[ Wisdom Magic: Knowledge Corruption ]
Instantly, Hel's mind was flooded with heaps of useless information. The knowledge only stunned her for a moment, but when she dispelled the spell and regained her senses—
Fubot was gone.
The window of the room had been smashed open.
Hel walked to the window and looked into the distance. There, she saw a petite figure in a black cloak, flying swiftly away—dragging Fubot by the back of his collar.
Seeing the retreating silhouette, Hel hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose not to pursue.
Instead, she thought speechlessly:
Well, isn't this interesting.
Another witch.
So… did I stumble into a whole nest of them?