Chapter 24: The Red Wolf

“What are monsters, after all?”

“Aren’t they creatures that act primarily on instinct rather than reason?”

“Moreover, in fantasy, even if they look like humans, those who prioritize instinct are monsters.”

“Even if they don’t look human, if they can communicate rationally, they are treated as demi-humans in the fantasy world.”

“There’s even a joke that a goblin’s brain is located between its legs.”

“That’s how much monsters move according to their instincts.”

“So, like any other animal, an Ogre should naturally have the habit of prioritizing and chasing the prey in front of it.”

“But.”

“Why is this bastard only chasing me!!!”

ROAR!!

The Ogre, swinging its large body, runs behind me as I pant and run away.

Despite the presence of other students around, it’s fixated on me, chasing only me.

Even when there were students who had fainted and collapsed on the floor.

It ignored them all and focused solely on me.

“Ugh….”

“Are you conscious?”

In the midst of running away for so long.

I heard a voice from behind me that seemed to have regained consciousness.

“Here….”

I can feel her looking around, not understanding the situation, from behind.

“Uh…. Uh? Ogre??”

Then, finally noticing the Ogre chasing us, she was startled and spoke in a panicked voice.

“Why is an Ogre here…. Could this be part of the plan, too? But clearly, breaking down the wall was….”

What is she saying?

The woman suddenly muttered in an inaudibly small voice.

The woman, who seemed to be thinking deeply about something for a moment, spoke to me.

“Hey.”

“Pant pant. Yes?”

I’m already having a hard time.

Why is she talking to me?

“Can I borrow some blood for a moment?”

Blood?

What is she talking about all of a sudden?

Doubts rose in my head at the incomprehensible words. But my doubts were soon resolved.

“…Hap.”

“Agh! What are you doing…!”

She suddenly lifted my collar and bit my neck.

A warm, moist sensation spread through my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, I almost stumbled.

“Slurp.”

And.

With a sound like something was being sucked.

I felt a slight dizziness, and at the same time, I began to feel something leaving my body.

I know this feeling.

It’s exactly like the feeling of donating blood.

Although the feeling on that side was much stranger now.

Anyway, it’s that kind of sensation.

Aaaahhh…!

My blood. My bloooood…!!

I felt dizzy for a moment as if my blood was being drained in real-time.

“Tsk. Your blood doesn’t taste good. It’s tingly.”

…What?

Then, I came back to my senses at the woman’s quiet words.

It’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone say blood doesn’t taste good.

But.

‘…Why is my pride hurt?’

I felt strangely offended by the woman’s statement that my blood tasted bad.

What’s wrong with my blood?

I don’t smoke or drink, I’m clean.

I’m in such good condition that I’d be considered Grade A by black market organ dealers.

But regardless of my feelings, the woman suddenly jumped off my back.

“Just rest for a moment.”

“Ah! Hey!”

Startled, I stopped running and looked back.

The Ogre, with a terrifying face, was running towards us.

The woman blocked the Ogre’s path and raised her finger.

And.

“Blood Cannon.”

Whoosh—Bang!

Red mana flickered for a moment at the tip of the woman’s finger.

It created an afterimage and rushed towards the Ogre.

Boom!

A huge bullet of crimson mana.

It tore through the Ogre’s flesh and bones, instantly creating a large hole in its chest.

Instant death.

The Ogre fell to the ground without any resistance.

Thud!!

The impact of its massive body hitting the ground was so loud that it made the ground shake.

The power to pierce through the skin of a high-ranking monster like an Ogre in an instant.

Seeing the power of the magic, I stopped in my tracks and blinked.

And having witnessed the entire sequence of events, I immediately realized the nature of the magic.

She sucked my blood.

And the magic’s name included “Blood.”

The magic that woman just used.

It’s definitely blood magic, a magic that uses blood.

A magic with great power and a significant drawback of using blood.

It’s also famous for having unusually few users due to various other restrictions.

But.

‘Wasn’t there someone among the heroines who used blood magic later…?’

Come to think of it.

There was one person among the heroines who had a strange atmosphere with Ed who used blood magic.

‘She looks a little similar to that heroine…?’

I glanced at the woman’s face, who was standing still and looking down at the Ogre, wondering what she was thinking.

Should I say it’s the atmosphere?

A face that looks somewhat similar to the heroine in the comic.

But as I lowered my gaze a little, I quietly turned my head.

‘No. She doesn’t look like her.’

The feeling was similar.

The crimson red hair.

The sharp, cat-like impression.

But on closer inspection, the most crucial part was different.

‘It’s not there.’

How should I put it?

There was a slight difference.

Clearly, that heroine had a huge mana pouch….

“Excuse me.”

“Y, Yes?”

I was having strange thoughts when I suddenly heard the woman’s voice, and I flinched and answered.

“What is it?”

“Do you….”

The woman hesitated for a moment.

Then she looked me straight in the eye and opened her mouth.

“Can you help me?”

I looked down at the captivating eyes staring at me.

“There are people trying to kidnap the Princess?”

“Yes.”

The woman, who introduced herself as ‘Rina’, told me a shocking story.

That is, right now.

People have infiltrated the Academy to kidnap the Princess.

“So who are these people?”

“…….”

I can’t understand it at all.

Who on earth would do such a crazy thing?

Kidnapping the Princess, the next in line to the throne.

It’s like openly declaring war on the Empire.

That’s why, no matter how crazy a villain was, there was never anyone in the comic who directly targeted the Princess.

What kind of crazy people would dare to not only terrorize the Academy.

But also target the Princess?

‘No, wait, how does this person know that?’

It’s suspicious.

Everything about this woman is suspicious.

Rina is wearing the Academy uniform.

But she doesn’t look like she’s my age at all.

Beyond the fact that she looks mature.

This person is definitely older than me.

Even when I asked about the identities of the attackers.

She pretended not to hear and just sweated profusely.

She doesn’t seem to have any intention of answering.

‘It’s suspicious….’

But even if I’m suspicious, I can’t help it.

If Rina’s words are true, I have no choice but to go and save the Princess.

Whatever their purpose may be.

Nothing good will come of anything happening to the Princess.

The Princess is a bit of a warmer, but her personality isn’t that twisted.

But.

The next in line, the Princess’s younger brother.

Balthian Blackwood.

There should be no possibility of that guy becoming Emperor.

Because he’s.

‘A mass of inferiority complex, a psychopath.’

He’s a madman with two of the worst titles.

If he becomes Emperor, there’s a high probability that this world will instantly turn into hell.

Then, of course, my enjoyable fantasy life will also go down the drain.

That’s not good.

That’s why, as soon as I heard Rina’s words, I started running with her to where the Princess might be.

After running for a while, we arrived at the Academy’s main building.

As we got closer to the main building, we could hear the sounds of battle in the distance.

Clang!

“Draw Sword!!”

Screech!!

A familiar voice.

And a skill name I’ve heard somewhere before.

Surely this sound is.

“Tatsuya!”

“Louis? How did you get here….”

The man who cut down the Goblin rushing at him with his sword.

He was the Draw Sword fanatic I had sparred with before.

Tatsuya.

“What’s all this?”

“I don’t know. People suddenly appeared from somewhere and attacked….”

A large number of monster corpses littered around Tatsuya.

Did Tatsuya cut all of these down by himself?

Even if they’re just low-level monsters, the number is no joke.

“Ah! Tatsuya. Where’s the President?”

“She’s currently in a standoff with unfamiliar attackers upstairs. More importantly, Louis.”

Tatsuya stopped talking to me and looked at the monster running from afar.

“I will continue to guard this place. Louis, you should go upstairs quickly!”

“Alright. See you later!”

I left Tatsuya, who was gripping his sword again, and entered the building.

“Draw Sword!!”

I climbed the stairs, hearing Tatsuya’s voice behind me.

And so we headed straight to the third floor.

The scene that greeted us as soon as we reached the third floor.

Two groups of people facing each other in front of a door.

The people standing guard at the door were Edmund and the Student Council members.

And on the other side.

A man in a black suit confronting Ed raised his arm as if it was cumbersome.

Then a tattoo on his forearm was a red wolf that seemed to be howling.

And.

I was startled when I saw it.

That….

‘It’s the same as the tattoo on Rina’s wrist.’

While carrying her, who had fainted and collapsed.

I had a glimpse of her wrist.

The tattoo on the man’s forearm was exactly the same as the tattoo on Rina’s wrist.