chapter 7
You Should Suffer Just the Same
A small town half a day’s ride from the southern plains of Marma.
Every autumn, this town bustled with merchants and laborers transporting grain. Even now, as autumn was drawing to a close, it was no different. A large merchant group had arrived to buy low-quality grain at a bargain and sell it to the famine-stricken Odium. Thanks to that, all inns with decent facilities or many rooms were fully booked.
One of the Lion King’s subordinates had been running around trying to find an inn, only to return empty-handed. As he trudged back, Adeline flung open the carriage door and poked her head out.
“We can just sleep outside, you know?”
“I’m sorry!”
The young subordinate snapped to attention in front of her. Adeline found great amusement in how the Lion King’s men would awkwardly shuffle away the moment she made eye contact. Whenever she popped her head out of the carriage, even the burliest warriors scattered like startled deer.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“N-Nowhere, ma’am!”
“Why are you avoiding me? Do I look like a monster?”
“No, not at all!”
The Lion King had once explained that his men simply found her presence… uncomfortable. At first, she thought they were just shy. A few days later, it started to feel like they were wary of her, and that irritated her. But now? She was just having fun.
“Adeline, stop tormenting them.”
“I’m not tormenting anyone.”
Adeline replied, staring straight at the men who were once again trying to retreat. The Lion King, who had been lying down for a nap inside the carriage, let out a long sigh and tugged at her arm.
“Don’t take it personally. They don’t dislike you. They’re just awkward around you.”
“So they run away when they feel awkward?”
“They just don’t know how to act around you.”
“They can just speak casually and treat me normally. Honestly, I’d prefer that.”
“You can’t expect too much at once. They’ll get used to you eventually.”
Men’s hearts really are delicate. Adeline nodded reluctantly. The whole situation was absurd: she and Nabi insisted they could sleep outdoors, while the Lion King’s men desperately searched for an inn. It looked like they’d keep wandering in circles forever, so Adeline handed Nabi a hefty pouch of gold coins.
“Go take care of it.”
Nabi, wearing a palace maid outfit borrowed from Collin, nodded silently. Draped in a white cloak and silk gloves, she looked every bit the maid of a noble lady.
“Act all haughty, like you used to when you’d yank those other maids around by the hair. The innkeeper will probably insist there are no rooms. They might say they’ll consider it if you pay double.”
Nabi slipped the pouch into her coat and looked Adeline in the eye.
“And what then?”
“The merchants and laborers are probably just as exhausted as we are, so I’d feel guilty kicking them out like that… Give the gold to them instead of the innkeeper.”
“Pardon?”
“Tell them we’ll pay five times what they paid for their rooms if they give them up.”
Nabi nodded once more and headed into the town. The Lion King’s men, who had been backing away from Adeline, followed obediently behind her.
The Lion King, still sprawled in his seat, watched them in silence. He looked like he had something on his mind.
“I’m not flaunting my wealth.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
He gave a relaxed smile. Lately, he seemed quite satisfied with his role. He’d been like that when they left Sol-Marma, and again when they passed through the central gate.
“Will you play the part of a beast who’s fallen for a beautiful woman?”
“Are you crazy?”
When she first suggested it, he’d been troubled and stiff-faced. But the further south they traveled, the more naturally he embraced his role—almost like he’d lived that way all his life.
“And what’s your role again?”
“A spoiled, arrogant princess.”
The Lion King, shirtless and stretched out in the carriage, opened his mouth to receive fruit that Adeline fed him.
“Open that lid on the chair.”
“This one?”
He sat up. As he removed the cushion and lifted the cover, a large hidden compartment appeared.
“What’s this?”
“Gold.”
“All of it?”
“There are some emergency jewels too.”
He chuckled hollowly. Adeline opened the lid for him. The chest was filled with pouches identical to the one she’d given Nabi. After a moment of silence, the Lion King asked,
“Can we even use all of this?”
“Of course. Worst case, I’ll build a statue of you down south.”
“Please don’t. I’m begging you.”
She had meant it seriously. Grinning at his horrified face, Adeline said,
“My father gave me this to cover travel expenses… I don’t plan on leaving a single coin behind.”
Sending Nabi had been the right decision. Before long, they saw the merchant group—about fifty strong—happily vacating the inn and heading out of town in a rush.
They had loaded large barrels of liquor onto their small carts and were off to the next city, presumably for a big celebration with the gold they’d received.
“We’ve cleared the entire inn.”
Nabi returned quickly and opened the carriage door. Guided by the innkeeper—who now looked quite sullen—they moved into the highest, most spacious room and began unpacking.
“How many days are we staying?”
The Lion King asked as Adeline massaged her body, stiff from the long journey.
“There are two bases nearby. First, we need to find the hideout where the kidnapped slaves are kept.”
“And after that?”
“We kidnap the slavers, lock them up in that same place, and have the freed slaves guard them.”
He looked at her with a strange expression. When Adeline shrugged and asked what was wrong, he simply shook his head slowly. Just then, one of the Lion King’s men entered the room hesitantly.
“Baltica…”
“What is it?”
“Do we… unpack your things for you?”
Nabi, who had been diligently arranging their belongings, stifled a laugh. Adeline did too. The Lion King’s men seemed bothered that their king traveled without a single servant and kept sneaking glances at Nabi, who never left Adeline’s side.
The Lion King furrowed his brows and pointed toward the door.
“Quit trying to be helpful. Just order us some food.”
“Yes, sir!”
At first, the innkeeper hadn’t recognized Adeline and the Lion King. But once Nabi started addressing her every word with “Your Highness,” it didn’t take long for him to figure it out.
As they sat before an absurdly extravagant meal—clearly intended to impress or bankrupt them—Adeline turned to Nabi and asked,
“What did you tell him?”
“I said a noble lady had come with the hero of the south.”
Both “noble lady” and “hero of the south” scowled in unison. Adeline leaned over and whispered in the Lion King’s ear.
“Are all gypsies like this?”
“Like what?”
“So shameless.”
(Continued in the next message…)
(Continued — Chapter 7: “You Should Suffer Just the Same”)
That night, Adeline took off her heavy dress and changed into more comfortable clothes. Wearing a black shirt, dark brown trousers, and a cloak, she stepped out dressed perfectly for the mission. The Lion King, who had been standing by the window, reached out his hand when he saw her.
“You said you know how to ride, right?”
“Of course.”
“Do you have protection gear?”
She opened her cloak slightly to reveal a female breastplate that covered her neck and chest. He nodded in approval and extended his hand again.
“We’re going out the window, up to the roof. It’ll be just you, me, and two of my men. Once we find the hideout, we come straight back.”
“Got it.”
“It shouldn’t happen, but if we get into a fight, stay close to me.”
“Why? You’re not going to fall back?”
“It’s hard to protect you if you’re far away.”
Smiling, she took his hand. They quietly slipped through the window and climbed out of the inn.
Meticulous as always, Nabi had stuffed pillows under the blanket to form a human shape and placed a wig matching Adeline’s hair on the pillow. In the dim candlelight, the long silver hair looked just like Adeline sleeping peacefully.
“Be careful out there.”
With Nabi’s quiet send-off, the two climbed onto the inn’s roof.
“This way.”
The Lion King’s men led the way. They moved low and silent, leaping across rooftops. Adeline, who usually walked slowly in dresses, now moved as lightly and swiftly as a cat. The Lion King’s men watched her with surprise.
“Told you she’d surprise you,” the Lion King shrugged.
What have you been telling them about me? Adeline asked with her eyes. But he didn’t answer—just gave a cryptic smile as he stepped into the dark streets below.
There was no need to worry about the city wall. The guards were all drunk and asleep, and the gates had been left wide open.
“Horses?”
“Outside the wall.”
They mounted the horses hidden by the Lion King’s men and set out toward the slavers’ hideout.
Their destination wasn’t far. The two hideouts were placed on either side of the city, likely to stock supplies needed for transporting slaves over long distances.
Riding through a forest at night without roads was dangerous, but none of them slowed down. Adeline lowered her posture and gripped the reins tightly, watching the backs of the men ahead of her.
Once they passed the forest and reached a wide plain, the Lion King caught up and rode beside her. He had wrapped a black cloth over his nose and mouth.
“Baltica, I see torches ahead.”
A subordinate returned with a report after scouting ahead.
A low hill stood slightly off the path leading to the southern plains. Behind it, there appeared to be fields likely tended by slash-and-burn farmers, and beyond that, a building they presumed was a hideout.
“There weren’t many torches—three or four at most. The building is a single-story structure. Behind two facing buildings, there’s a large warehouse. The ground seems unstable, so I doubt there’s a prison underground.”
That meant this probably wasn’t the slave hideout—more likely a general base.
“How far to the next one?” the Lion King asked.
Adeline thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t think we’ll be able to check both tonight…”
“Baltica!”
A panicked voice cut her off. The group immediately crouched low. Before Adeline could react, the Lion King pulled her into his arms and dove into the bushes.
Thud thud thud thud.
Hoofbeats. Loud and fast. Not just one or two. At least thirty riders.
“All on horseback, armed. Two wagons. Damn—they’re coming this way! Get down!”
Adeline quickly nodded and flattened herself to the ground. The Lion King lay beside her and used his cloak to cover her head. His men disappeared into the woods to hide the horses.
Thud thud thud.
The slavers passed within a hundred paces of where they hid. Adeline held her breath and stared hard in their direction. The men carried small bows—weak in power but highly accurate—along with long ropes and iron restraints at their waists.
Slavers.
There were two wagons, tightly sealed with no windows. As they passed, the Lion King placed a hand on her back.
“Adeline.”
“What?”
“There are slaves inside.”
“How many?”
“Several. I can hear them crying.”
The slaves’ screams were faint, possibly gagged, but the anguished groans were enough to reveal how dire the situation was.
The Lion King whispered that some were seriously injured, some unconscious. Adeline clenched her jaw, rage building inside her. Her eyes burned with fury.
Slaves who resist during abduction are often severely injured. If they’re expensive, the slavers might treat them. If not, they become toys for the slavers’ amusement—likely to die within a single night.
“Adeline, you said we shouldn’t rescue the slaves until we’ve located the hideout.”
Once the slavers passed, the Lion King sat up and removed his cloak from her head. Adeline looked at him and said,
“That’s because if any of them survive and run off to the next base, they’ll alert the others…”
“Then shouldn’t we just kill them all?”
“What?”
“I misspoke. We either kill them all or capture them all. Simple as that.”
The Lion King watched the backs of the men disappearing into the distance, brushing his lips with his fingers as if calculating something. After a moment of silence, he spoke to her again.
“You said you wanted me.”
Adeline didn’t answer. She simply stared at him.
“Watch closely. See what kind of man I am.”
He didn’t strategize or call a meeting. The Lion King gave a simple hand signal to his subordinates, and the expressions disappeared from their faces in an instant.
Adeline didn’t know much about the Odium Desert. She had heard stories, but never once set foot on its hot sands. So she didn’t know what kind of monstrous warriors were raised by the desert.
The Lion King took the lead. Three horses galloped forward, hooves thundering across the ground. Three against thirty—it was a hopeless battle. And they had to take down every last one of them before a single person could flee.
“What the hell? Who the hell are these guys?!”
Realizing they were under attack, the slavers shouted and drew their weapons. At first they panicked, trying to identify their attackers. But when two of their own were cut down by the Lion King’s sword, they quickly changed tactics.
“Kill them! Surround and kill them!”
“Take them one by one!”
The Lion King’s sword was strange. Unnatural. Hypnotic. Adeline had never seen such a beautiful weapon. Every time the long, slender blade sliced through the air, it seemed to bend. A thick killing aura shimmered around him like a mirage.
The lion was everywhere. He moved freely even on horseback, as if riding on flat ground. One hand wielded the long sword while the other disarmed opponents and tossed their weapons aside. He guided his horse with only his legs and short whistles.
Each time his sand-colored hair fluttered, another man fell. Whenever his blade flashed in the moonlight, hot human blood spilled onto the earth.
“Who the hell is this guy?!”
The slavers panicked. Some tried to retreat, but even that was impossible.
Adeline watched in awe as the Lion King’s subordinates disoriented their enemies with precision. Even in the chaos, their movements followed a rhythm. They blocked attacks while cutting off escape routes.
It was a one-sided fight. The thirty slavers were completely surrounded by three warriors. Not one of them managed to escape or even mount a counterattack.
The Lion King was a beautiful man. But the easygoing ruler Adeline had known was nowhere to be seen. He was a starved, furious beast. A warrior chosen by the gods. A seasoned hunter.
Screams and shouts had filled the field, but now silence fell.
Just three of them. Even if the slavers weren’t trained fighters, it was a staggering display of skill. The Lion King and his men had taken down thirty armed men without flaw.
From the bushes, Adeline slowly rose to her feet. The Lion King’s voice reached her ears.
“Anyone who runs dies.”
A low voice, like a rasp dragging across her eardrum and crashing into her heart. His tone was deadly serious, with the barest hint of a smile.
“Down. Crawl if you want to live.”
Panic, confusion, fear, rage—they swirled together in a mess. The slavers didn’t know what to do, scanning the surroundings desperately. The attackers were unscathed, and the thirty slavers were either dead or disabled.
“Aaaaagh!”
One tried to flee—but a dagger thrown by the Lion King embedded in his neck. A man’s thick neck pierced so easily—seeing that, the last remaining slavers lost all will to fight.
“I’ll say it once more. Get down.”
The first to kneel was a man with a long gash on his arm. One by one, the others followed.
The Lion King forced them to the ground, stepping on their necks and shoving their faces into the dirt. Whenever they resisted, grass and soil filled their mouths. The ropes and chains meant for slaves were now used to bind their captors.
The Lion King gestured to Adeline. No words were needed. She leapt lightly onto her horse and rode to his side.
“Go into the outpost and secure the place.”
“Yes, sir!”
His subordinates rushed toward the nearby outpost. They had already confirmed that only a few guards remained.
Adeline turned her gaze toward two eerily silent wagons. The ones carrying the slaves. The screams and cries the Lion King had heard—she couldn’t hear any of them now. It was quiet, like an empty wagon.
She dismounted and approached slowly.
“There’s a lock.”
The door was small, but the lock was made of iron thicker than her forearm. The Lion King didn’t respond. Instead, he glanced over the groveling slavers, selected one, and stomped on his neck.
“Aaargh!”
“Throw me the key.”
The terrified man pulled out a key with trembling arms. Adeline caught the key thrown by the Lion King and hurried to unlock the door.
A horrible stench poured out. She groaned instinctively. Inside, seven women lay slumped against each other, covered in filth and reeking of waste. All were unconscious except for one. One looked to be a girl not even fifteen.
“Ah…”
Adeline didn’t know what to say. The only conscious woman lifted her dead, blackened eyes toward her.
They stared at each other. The woman’s face showed no will to live. No hope. No warmth. Adeline could guess what thoughts had kept her alive until now.
She had probably been praying for a quick, painless death.
Adeline couldn’t bring herself to say they had come to rescue them. Instead, she opened the door wide and stepped aside.
The slavers lay groveling in the dirt, begging for mercy.
At first, the woman seemed confused. But slowly, her eyes widened, taking in Adeline, the Lion King, and the slavers.
Shackled ankles, matted hair, torn and half-stripped clothing, a body covered in wounds and filth—she crawled to the door on all fours. Her trembling hand clutched the edge of the wagon.
“My legs… They won’t hold me.”
She finally spoke, voice hoarse and cracked.
Adeline gently reached out and pulled her into her arms. The woman collapsed into her embrace. Her hands were cold as ice.
A heavy silence settled over the field. The slavers continued to plead with the Lion King. They offered money. Anything.
Adeline felt the woman in her arms tremble violently. Even after being freed, she couldn’t believe it. She was still terrified.
There were many ways to respond—comfort her, explain the situation. But Adeline chose neither. Instead, she pulled a dagger from her belt and placed it in the woman’s hand.
“Find the one who did this to you.”
The dagger slipped from her weak grip and fell to the ground. She stared at Adeline.
“If you think you’ll feel guilty, don’t do it. What matters is your heart. Either way, they’ll pay for what they’ve done.”
It didn’t take long for the woman to decide. She dropped to her knees, picked up the dagger with both hands, and began crawling toward the slavers.
Her gaze stopped on several of their faces.
No one spoke.
In that fleeting moment, no one knew what she was thinking. She held her breath, and her black eyes lit up with fire. Her grip on the dagger tightened. Some of the slavers began to scream, shaking their bound hands.
“What are you doing?! Get away! Stay back!”
“Don’t! Please, don’t—!”
She didn’t hear them.
“Uhh… Aaaargh!”
Her attack was clumsy. She stabbed the neck, the back. It wasn’t enough to kill instantly. She had to repeat the motion several times. Blood splattered. Screams echoed.
She didn’t stop until her first target was dead. Even then, she kept stabbing.
The slavers began crawling away.
“Don’t move.”
The Lion King started kicking. Dull thuds mixed with desperate pleas.
“You brought this on yourselves. You should bear it.”
No one there felt any sympathy. After killing two more, the woman collapsed, still clutching the dagger. Adeline gently laid her down and held her as she cried.
“My husband… They killed my husband.”
“I know.”
“They slaughtered him in front of me. Laughed like beasts… He begged for his life… begged so hard…”
“I know.”
“They deserve to die.”
Relief, guilt, rage, grief—her emotions surged uncontrollably. She clung to Adeline and sobbed.
“Please… Save the others.”
Adeline nodded and stood.
The second wagon had the same lock. When she opened it, the same stench greeted her.
These were free citizens, meant to be sold as gladiators.
Their eyes, full of rage, landed on Adeline. Their limbs were chained, their bodies broken. None looked unscathed. Some had lost consciousness from blood loss.
Adeline spoke.
“We came to rescue you.”
They stopped moving.
The Lion King’s subordinates soon returned, having secured the outpost. They brought the captives and the slavers inside, reversing their roles.
“Lay the wounded on beds. There should be medicine here somewhere.”
A few of the captives could still walk. As soon as their chains were removed, they stretched their limbs and ran at the slavers. Punches and kicks flew. Some were castrated with brutal force. Arms and legs were deliberately broken.
“Th… thank you. For saving us.”
With awkward, uncomfortable expressions, they came to thank her. Adeline asked them to help tend the wounded.
The outpost was stocked with medicine. Dead slaves couldn’t be sold.
“There’s food and weapons too.”
The Lion King returned from a round of the outpost and laid down spears, swords, and bows before the freed captives.
“Listen well. There’s another outpost nearby. We’re hitting it tomorrow night.”
“We’ll go with you.”
“I can’t let the wounded fight. You’ll stay here, watch the slavers, and protect the others.”
“We can fight!”
Most of the captives were young, about the Lion King’s age. They burned with fury, shouting that they’d rather die fighting. Even the women who’d come to their senses grabbed weapons.
“We’re not pirates. Just because we’re islanders doesn’t mean we steal. We just came to visit family on the mainland! And those bastards—!”
“My sister was taken first. She was about to get married. Please… I’ll do anything. Just let me come.”
“I can fight dirty. They were gonna sell us to the arena for a reason—!”
They shouted with all their might. The Lion King waited in silence until they’d said everything they needed to say. Then, when the room quieted, he slowly removed the black cloth covering his mouth and spoke.
“I am the Lion of Baltica. The King of Odium.”
The freed warriors fell silent first. They stared at him in disbelief.
“I heard Marmar’s slavers were hunting people on my land. That’s why I came.”
“Is that… true?”
“I’m seeing it through. I won’t stop now.”
In other words, wait. Your chance will come. The freed captives finally accepted they couldn’t fight at full strength while injured. Their rage simmered down.
Adeline watched from afar as they awkwardly tried to comfort the weeping women.
“Adeline.”
The Lion King approached.
“My men will stay. You and I will return to the inn.”
Dawn was breaking. She took his hand and mounted the horse.
“I know.”
Unlike Adeline’s thin, fine hair, his hair was thick and looked healthy. It was only slightly split at the ends, unable to withstand the harsh desert sun and his indifference. She toyed with his long strands between her fingers, yawning as she spoke.
“Why did you grow your hair out?”
“It just grew. I didn’t cut it because it was a hassle.”
“What?”
How unfair. She had to wash, comb, and apply all sorts of products every day to maintain her long hair. And yet this man let it be out of laziness, and it grew this long. Thick and healthy, his hair slid smoothly through her fingers every time she touched it.
When Adeline pulled his hair with a pout, he laughed and asked,
“When did you wake up?”
She nestled her legs between the thick blankets and replied,
“Just now. A little while ago.”
“Don’t lie.”
“How did you know it was a lie?”
“Your face is covered in pillow marks.”
“That’s because of my age!”
The Lion King laughed, telling her not to say such nonsense. Adeline rubbed her cheeks with her palms and sat up in bed. Then, a sudden question popped into her mind.
“Don’t you think I’m pretty?”
“What?”
“Everyone says so. The flower of the king, Adeline Vita. My father adopted me, sent me to the enemy nation, and even pushed me toward you—all because I’m pretty. But you lie in bed with me like this and don’t seem to care at all.”
“Is that what you’re curious about?”
“I’m asking seriously. Answer me.”
It wasn’t a serious question, but she said it as if it were because she truly wanted to hear his answer.
The Lion King, lying on his stomach, lifted his head and propped his chin on his hand. His disheveled hair hung down.
“You…”
“Yeah?”
“You look a bit…”
“Hmm?”
“…strange.”
Expecting a normal compliment or teasing insult, Adeline was caught off guard by his unexpected answer, her mouth slightly open as she stared at him.
“Strange? What do you mean by that?”
“It just means what it means.”
“What the hell? Strange? What’s so strange about me?”
The Lion King narrowed his eyes and sat up to avoid her. Adeline quickly wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, clinging to him so he couldn’t escape, and pressed him persistently.
“Come on, tell me! What’s strange about me?”
He pushed her forehead back with a sigh and answered,
“Look in the mirror.”
As the Lion King left the room, the maid Nabi, who had been waiting outside, bowed to him and entered. Adeline kicked off the blankets wrapped around her legs and ran to the mirror.
There, reflected back at her, was a ghostly woman with messy, whitish-gray hair, pillow marks on her puffy face, and bloodshot eyes glaring wide open.
Well, fair enough. “Strange” was almost a compliment.
“Princess Adeline?”
Nabi tilted her head behind her.
That afternoon, they used sightseeing as an excuse to wander around the city. Everywhere Adeline went, smiles blossomed on the merchants’ faces. She bought a new weapon to give to a knight escort, asked for good medicine for a frail maid, and requested clean clothes to give to the poor.
Behind her, a line of workers carrying crates full of goods stretched long. Her gold coins never ran dry. When she had told the Lion King she’d build a statue for him if he had money left over, she’d meant it.
That evening, the innkeeper once again prepared an overwhelmingly luxurious meal. Unable to approach Adeline or the Lion King, he timidly asked Nabi how long they planned to stay in the city. The fake maid replied haughtily that it was up to the noble guests to decide.
“Let’s go.”
Night fell. Just like the previous evening, Adeline changed into plain, dark clothes and took the Lion King’s outstretched hand.
After capturing the kidnappers last night, they had managed to extract some information.
The second hideout was farther away than expected, making it impractical to visit both places back-to-back. They had instructed the Lion King’s subordinates to bring the carriage to a midway point. Their plan was to disguise themselves as part of the trafficking group and infiltrate the hideout.
“There it is.”
Riding side by side, Adeline followed the Lion King’s gaze to see two carriages and a group of warriors waiting.
“Why are there so many of them?”
Only two subordinates had been left behind, but there were around twelve people. The Lion King urged his horse forward in confusion.
They were the freefolk who had begged to fight.
“Disobedient fools.”
“It’s not that… Baltica had a good idea.”
His men whispered something into his ear. Curious, Adeline leaned in to listen and then smiled.
“Not bad.”
The plan was simple. The freefolk would drive the carriage, with the Lion King’s men hidden inside. Once the doors opened, they’d launch a surprise attack. All the freefolk were dressed in the traffickers’ clothes and armed with their weapons.
The Lion King nodded approvingly.
“What about the ones we caught last night?”
“They’re being guarded. As soon as the drugs wore off, the women all woke up and went berserk with knives… A couple of them did kill their captors.”
“I see.”
They had lost their freedom, possibly even their loved ones. Who knew what horrors they’d endured while being dragged away. Adeline could understand if they wanted to kill every last one of their captors.
“Let’s go.”
Adeline and the Lion King boarded one carriage, while his men took the other.
Everything unfolded smoothly from there. The group raced toward the second hideout—a disguised farmhouse on an open plain. In front of the large grain warehouse stood carts and wagons for transportation.
When the guards saw the carriages, they approached casually, suspecting nothing. Adeline peeked through a crack in the door to watch.
“That’s it? Where is everyone?”
“Probably off drinking.”
“Drinking—and more, I’m sure.”
The men approached, laughing loudly. The stench of alcohol wafted into the carriage.
“Let’s see… what kind of beauties have we got this time?”
“Pick well. It’s disgusting when you’re expecting pretty ones and end up with pirate scum spitting in your face.”
“I’ll cut out the tongue of anyone who does that!”
Slaves sold to fighting pits didn’t need tongues. Those were brutal arenas where people fought to the death. Captured barbarians and freefolk warriors were common commodities there.
“Hey, who’s this? Haven’t seen you before.”
“Are you new?”
Some of the more sober ones sensed something off and reached for their weapons. The freefolk jumped from the horses. They simultaneously opened both carriage doors and shouted,
“Six in front, more inside the building!”
The Lion King’s cloak flashed before her eyes.
Adeline didn’t even need to move. He rolled to the ground and in one fluid motion disabled one enemy with a knee strike, then took down another before fully rising.
His men burst from the other carriage. The kidnappers inside the farmhouse screamed and tried to flee. More than ten people ran out of the building, but they were quickly subdued as the armed freefolk joined the fray.
Last to emerge from the carriage was Adeline, crawling out slowly.
“Who’s your leader?”
No one answered. She dusted her dirty hands off and took the whip handed to her by the Lion King.
“You know what this is, right?”
It was the leather whip used to discipline rebellious slaves.
The captives were bound and made to kneel in a row at the center of the farmhouse. Adeline walked before them gracefully. The Lion King’s men dumped water over their heads.
“Ugh… Aaaaagh!”
Their soaked clothes clung to their skin. Adeline, her eyes glowing blue in the moonlight, scanned their terrified faces one by one.
“Your boss. His boss. The one above him.”
She wanted names.
“It was an honor to serve you! May the rest of your journey be peaceful!”
The innkeeper knelt before Adeline and the Lion King.
Adeline didn’t meet his gaze and climbed into the carriage with regal indifference. The Lion King, following her instructions, tossed him a few gleaming gold coins.
“Good work.”
“Th-Thank you! Long live Odium!”
A Marmar citizen cheering for Odium—how ridiculous. Adeline burst out laughing as she stretched out on the carriage seat.
Her extravagant entourage stayed in that town for exactly five days. The first two were spent raiding the hideouts. The next three were for playing her assigned role. She threw gold around lavishly, gathering all the city’s finest goods to create a banquet hall in the middle of the fields.
Laborers hauled massive tents and sofas draped in animal hides. Adeline handed out gold coins to each of them, praising their hard work. At first awkward, the Lion King eventually got the hang of it—and surprised her with how naturally he played along.
One day, a city official who had heard of their visit came running, only to find the Lion King’s hand around Adeline’s waist, his nose buried in her neck.
“What’s our next destination?”
The Lion King asked, settling comfortably on the carriage seat with his shoes off. Adeline, watching him, pouted.
“You’re going to get fat.”
“Why are you picking a fight again?”
“We have to go get Nabi.”
Nabi was still at the first hideout.
The captured kidnappers were tight-lipped. Even after being whipped until their skin split and they passed out, they said nothing. The freefolk offered to torture them, but Adeline didn’t trust them not to accidentally kill someone.
At dawn, she returned to the inn and was told that the captives still hadn’t talked. Nabi tilted her head and said,
“If it’s that kind of thing, just order me, Your Highness.”
“What? What are you planning to do?”
“I pride myself on being the best in the continent at hypnosis. Leave it to me, Your Highness.”
Her fake maid was surprisingly capable.
On their way south, the group passed by the first hideout. That was where Nabi was waiting after finishing her interrogation.
“You’re pretty good with a whip.”
As their large carriage picked up speed, Adeline burst out laughing at the Lion King’s comment.
“Who can’t use a whip? You just swing it.”
“Hitting the same spot over and over isn’t as easy as it looks.”
“My arm hurt, so I just flailed it around.”
Not much to it. As long as you had the strength to lift the whip and the mindset to walk into hell, that was enough. Guilt could come later. Even if she were to be punished harshly by the king of the afterlife, she wouldn’t regret it. If she feared that, she’d never have begun.
After wiping out both of the trafficking ring’s bases, they moved the rescued victims and captured traffickers to a secluded place. In the vast southern lands, many barns were empty for the winter after harvest. Adeline had the freefolk purchase one of the larger ones.
“There’s a basement.”
It was perfect—built to store leftover grain. Adeline locked up the traffickers in the underground storage, their limbs bound.
“Listen carefully.”
She stood before the rescued women and the freefolk warriors.
“If possible, go home.”
Their fearful eyes turned toward her. Adeline laid out pouches overflowing with gold coins.
“I know this can’t be fixed with money. But if you want to go home or start over, nothing’s more useful than gold. And this is dirty money—no reason to feel guilty.”
No one replied. They only stared in confusion.
Forget it all and live.
Those last words never left her lips. How could they? She hadn’t been able to forget anything in twenty years, and it still hurt.
When Adeline returned to the Lion King’s side, one of his men approached.
“Some of the freefolk insist on coming with us.”
“Let them if they want.”
The answer came from the Lion King. Their group—now slightly larger than when they began—set out toward their next destination.
