The Whitelocke heir staggered backward at Neon's shout, releasing his fire magic instinctively… only to immediately eat a full-powered fist to the face.
CRACK!
Reina's punch connected with such perfect form that even Ren paused his own fight to admire it.
The Whitelocke heir spun backward like a launched projectile, several of his teeth flying out like white confetti, sparkling dramatically in the light before scattering into the grass.
He crashed into the dirt several meters away, skidding across the ground like a broken cart wheel.
Reina exhaled and popped her neck.
Ren stepped forward, flipping his sword around and slamming the hilt directly into the heir's forehead with expert timing.
THUNK!
The boy crumpled instantly, limbs sprawling across the still-bleeding Evermere heir like a bizarre art piece titled: "Young Nobles in Pain."
Reina jogged to Ren's side, her eyes shining with adrenaline.
"Should we give chase?" she asked, already bouncing on her heels.
Even though the most logical thing to do right now was to avoid fighting... She still wanted to fight a bit more.
Once she was home, she had to study for the Academy entrance examination. This was far better.
Ren eyed her. "Yeah. Though I'm trying to bully that shadow guy first."
The Ravenire heir… The bastard who blasted the tree Ren had stood on earlier. Petty revenge was a noble goal.
『"Reina Dawnlarke"'s affection points have increased to 16.』
'Affection rising like Bitcoin in 2010,' Ren thought. 'Say anything violent and she lights up. Noted.'
He nodded toward her. "Shall we go together?"
Reina bit her lip. "He's already a bit far ahead. I won't be able to keep up with you."
She crossed her arms. "And I won't let you carry me."
"Who said anything about carrying?" Ren grabbed her wrist lightly and pulled her toward him. "You're the one bullying him for me."
Her eyes widened.
Ren threw her.
WHOOSH—!!!
Reina shot through the air like a fired bullet, ice gathering around her as she soared forward.
Ren admired the arc.
'Perfect form.'
He turned to the remaining unconscious nobles.
"What do I do about them?" he muttered.
His eyes landed on something metal glinting on Evermere's finger.
"…Is that a storage ring?"
He crouched, tugged it off, and infused it with mana.
A candy appeared.
Then another.
And another.
And another…
Then forty-seven more.
Ren blinked repeatedly.
FWOOMP
FWOOMP
FWOOMP
Candy bars piled around him like he had robbed a candy store's entire stock.
"How many candy bars did this guy put in here?"
『The Item is being appraised…』
『Item Name: Mega Candy』
『Rank: Uncommon』
『Description: A bar of candy made by the best Sweetwright in the whole country.』
Another item slid out…
『Item Name: Steel Rope』
『Rank: Common』
『Description: A rope made of regular steel.』
Ren stared at the rope.
Then at the unconscious nobles.
A slow grin spread across his face.
'Wait… I have an idea.'
He reached for the rope.
[MEANWHILE…]
Reina blasted through the air with ice trailing behind her boots like comet wings.
'Fuck him,' she thought.
『"Reina Dawnlarke"'s affection points have decreased to 15.』
She frowned as the wind rushed past her face.
'I don't like this.'
She angled her body lower and streamlined her movement, feeling the wind carve around her limbs.
『"Reina Dawnlarke"'s affection points have increased to 17.』
Reina blinked.
'…Okay, I liked that.'
The sharp sting of cold air, the momentum, the speed at which she was going at… it was exhilarating.
Her cheeks flushed as a stupid thought popped into her head.
'I knew it… his arms were strong. How would they feel if they wrapped around me?'
She bit her lip.
『"Reina Dawnlarke"'s affection points have increased to 23.』
Her face grew hot.
'Why am I thinking like this?! It's because he found out my secret… yes. That's it. He knows I'm a woman so he has to take responsibility…'
『"Reina Dawnlarke"'s affection points have increased to 25.』
Her imagination spiraled further.
'What if he… does something scandalous in front of my fiancé—'
She smacked both hands against her cheeks, icing them instantly to force the thoughts away.
When she refocused, she had already closed the gap between the running noble boys.
They had run impressively far… but not far enough.
The Ravenire heir was just ahead.
Perfect.
She cocked back her leg, gathering enough cold mana to freeze a small pond.
The boys noticed her too late.
BOOM!!!
Her kick collided with his back.
The shockwave blasted the Ravenspire heir forward like a launched corpse, and he slammed into a tree so hard the bark shattered.
He slid down, dazed and making sounds like a deflating balloon.
The heirs froze.
"How dare you work for him?!" the Briarhallow heir screamed, swinging at her.
He received a sucker punch so clean it would've made Ren weep.
He shot backward and hit a tree with a crunch, the trunk cracking behind him.
The heirs turned to Reina with collective horror.
'What the hell is he planning?' Reina wondered. 'I can't take all of them. I'm not strong enough for that…'
She braced herself.
Only for a strange grinding sound to echo behind her.
GRRRRRRRRRRRK… SHINGGGG… SHRRRRRRRKKK
It was the sound of metal dragging across the ground.
The heirs turned and their blood ran cold.
Ren Crowhurst appeared like a walking nightmare, pulling behind him a chain of nobles… ALL of them tied together with gleaming steel ropes, dragged across the forest floor like a conga line of defeated idiots.
The unconscious Morcant heir was first in the line, smacking repeatedly into rocks.
The Marrowind heir who had tried to flee in a different direction entirely was tied in the middle, screaming for mercy.
The Whitelocke and Evermere heirs were mashed together in the back like a tragic sandwich.
Ren held the rope in one hand, a sword in the other and a satisfied smile on his face.
"Yo," he said casually.
The heirs stared at him in terror.
He raised his sword.
"All of you," Ren said, "apart from Randy of course—"
Reina flinched at being called Randy from him.
"—tie yourselves up."
The heirs exchanged looks.
"W-what makes you think—" Neon began.
Ren cut him off with a level stare.
"Then," he said pleasantly, "I simply won't let you leave here with your clothes intact."
Every heir froze.
Ren continued conversationally.
"Be it as it may, the Crowhursts are the most influential among the noble clans, behind the Royal family of course. Even if you tried to take me to the royal court, I'd get away with environmental cleaning or some bullshit. Meanwhile…"
He tapped the blade on his palm.
"I'll take your storage rings. Beat you again. Strip you. Tie you to trees. And drag you through the entire path we came from."
Silence.
Ren's smile widened devilishly.
"So what do you choose?"
The answer was obvious.
[5 Minutes Later]
Ren walked triumphantly through the forest path, towing a long chain of nobles tied by steel ropes behind him like miserable, over-dressed cattle.
Every time one slowed down, Reina… walking behind with a whip in hand cracked it against their legs.
THWIP!!
"OW! I-I'm going, I'm going!"
"Walk faster," Reina said, her voice was cold. "My boss is watching."
Ren choked on his own spit.
Boss??
『Title Gained: Slave Driver』