Within the four corners of the dark cage, infused with magic that prevented any prisoner from unleashing their powers, lay the Teumessian fox. Its eyes were closed, but its mind remained sharp, recording every detail around it. The rhythmic, rigid clatter of the wagon wheels and the horses' hooves echoed like war drums to the creature, escorting it toward what felt like the final hours of its life.
Was it afraid? Yes. But it was no longer a coward—not like when it was first captured. Right now, it embraced the lingering warmth that only one person was capable of unleashing. It brought the creature back to the day she had approached it, granting the warmest gesture no mortal or god had ever given its lineage. And her words back then... the very identity she had bestowed upon it...
The fox knew she was there, watching. It had even felt the presence of the man who had captured it. It sensed them standing side by side, yet felt no lingering resentment or blame. Surrounded by the memory of Cana's immense aura, the fox remained completely calm.
Unbeknownst to his men, Prince Lance was fixated on the very same woman occupying the Teumessian fox's mind. If not for the urgent matter of securing the beast, he wouldn't have departed from the Castle of Lion's guild so soon. He had wanted to wait, to catch another glimpse of the woman with Solari. The mere thought of her standing beside Solari and showing him concern sparked a wave of bitter jealousy and rage within him.
That bastard didn't deserve a woman like her. Why choose him when a prince of the kingdom stood right before her?
The irritation on Prince Lance's face was painfully obvious. He clenched his fist, casting a dark, resentful glare toward the opposite wall of his carriage as if ready to smash it to pieces. He wanted nothing more than to crush Solari into dust, but the bastard somehow managed to be outrageously lucky every single time. As royalty, Lance believed all privileges belonged to him by birthright, yet Solari effortlessly acquired things no prince could touch.
Just how lucky could that man be? Divine favor belonged to the kingdom's royalty—not to some son of a witch.
He knocked sharply against the carriage window. A shadow materialized behind the tinted glass.
"Your Highness," the man in a dark figure answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What have you found about that woman with my bastard brother?"
Earlier, when Solari had stepped out of the weapon shop with her, Lance had immediately ordered one of his men to investigate them.
"Pardon, Your Highness, but we found nothing regarding the woman's identity. There is no record of her in any family registry. However, the city folk we questioned claimed she is a close companion of Solari."
Lance gritted his teeth, utterly infuriated by the response. "Useless fools!"
He hurled a lethal glare at the figure in black, who simply bowed his head and vanished back into the shadows. Out of sheer frustration, Lance slammed his fist against the armrest of his seat.
Meanwhile...
Cana heard loud gasps echoing around her while she was in the middle of eating. It hadn't been long since Erus had stood up, mentioning he needed to retrieve a few belongings from their quarters. When she looked around, most of the hunters were abandoning their tables—leaving unfinished meals behind as they rushed toward the main hall. Curious, she stood up and joined the crowd. Who knew? Maybe some absurdly rich person was handing out free relief goods.
A massive crowd had gathered, encircling the main hall so tightly that she couldn't see what was actually happening inside.
"What's going on in there?" she asked, turning to one of the hunters nearby. The man froze the moment he realized who was speaking to him.
His reaction only confused her further. "Are you okay?"
"So... Solari is going to kill someone again," he stammered out.
"What?" Cana blurted, though the words hadn't truly registered yet. Why would Solari kill anyone? And who was he even going after? He had just said he was going to get his things.
"Excuse me!" she called out to the crowd.
The hunters hesitated to make room for her at first, but as soon as they caught sight of her face, they scrambled out of her way.
When she finally broke through the front line of the crowd, she immediately spotted Erus's tall, lean figure standing rigid, his suffocating aura expanding across the room. Just a few paces in front of him, a woman was crawling backward across the floor in utter terror, desperately trying to put distance between herself and Erus. Her eyes were wide with panic, though she looked far from innocent—guilt was written all over her face. Cana wondered what could have possibly transpired in the few minutes he was gone.
"Being the guild master's relative doesn't give her the right to touch Solari, yet she still did."
"She must be completely out of her mind."
"Guess she's seeking an early grave."
The murmurs floating through the crowd answered her unspoken question.
So, that was what happened. Watching the lethal fury radiating off Erus now, the whole picture fell into place.
Erus unsheathed his sword, swinging it down in a single fluid motion without a shred of hesitation aimed straight at the woman on the floor. If not for someone intervening just in time, blood would have painted the ground. Fortunately for her, the blow only sliced a heavy iron shield cleanly in two—a brutal display of the killing intent behind his strike.
Remembering how his own men had panicked whenever anyone got too close or tried to touch Erus, Cana finally understood the root of their terror. She was seeing the live demonstration of why no one in their right mind dared to provoke a monster like him.
Then there was Nick, sprinting down the stairs without his usual playful grin. He looked completely unhinged, panicking at the sight of Erus's bloody aura flaring up again. If not for the heavy iron shield he had grabbed on his way down, the woman would be nothing more than a corpse right now. Nick immediately rushed to his niece—not to comfort her, but to deliver a brutal, resounding slap across both her cheeks.
"Just what the hell were you trying to pull, Cassiopeia?!" he roared at her, his knuckles turning white as he fought the urge to knock his bratty niece out cold.
"Uncle... I'm sorry. I didn't—I didn't mean anything! I was just—"
"You were what?!"
Cassiopeia shut her mouth. She knew what she had done, and remaining silent was far safer than trying to make excuses. It was her own fault for provoking someone she should have never touched. She had only assumed he had softened based on the rumors floating around—gossip claiming there was a woman Erus actively touched, someone he permitted to handle and speak to him like a casual companion.
Despite what Nick did, the lethal intent surrounding Erus hadn't subsided in the slightest.
"Nikolas... if you let this pass, I swear she'll learn her lesson. I will never let her get anywhere near you again," Nick pleaded, his voice dead serious. He had zero intention of fighting Solari just to shield his idiot niece.
Yet he was met only with Erus' cold, crimson eyes. Nick couldn't fathom why Solari was so dead set on executing her over a simple touch. Solari could have easily just severed her hands, yet he had gone straight for the kill.
Then Nick's gaze shifted, catching sight of Cana standing among the crowd. He couldn't read her expression. Was she terrified of the horrific scene unfolding before her? Yet, she wasn't running away.
Cana let out a quiet sigh before stepping forward, walking right up to Erus. "Where exactly did she touch you?" she asked. There was no way a mere touch on the shoulder or arm would provoke this level of bloodlust from him.
"Left groin!" Erus gritted out through clenched teeth, practically vibrating with pure hatred.
"Oh?"
Scanning Erus's body, she had to admit his outfit practically invited lust. With a flawless build proudly displaying eight-pack abs, even a straight man might be tempted to jump him—if not for his terrifying mood swings. If his appearance was the root cause of unwanted advances, it was almost understandable. Still, anyone grabbing someone's groin when they weren't even close was a dead-serious offense.
She moved closer to Erus.
"She seems to be an animal in heat, and her blood reeks. Do you really think your sword deserves the taste of it?" Cana asked, standing close in front of him, though her cold gaze was fixed directly on Nick and his niece.
Erus didn't fully understand why Cana was saying those words. Was she validating his feelings? Or was she merely trying to divert his attention and save that bitch?
Nick, meanwhile, had no idea how to handle Cana. The very first time they met, he had already sensed she was an anomaly—much like Solari, though with a distinct difference. She was far more unpredictable. Whenever she spoke, whether her tone was playful or deadly serious, it put him on edge, forcing his defenses up to their absolute limit.
Cassiopeia, on the other hand, was desperately trying to figure Cana out. This was her first time laying eyes on her, and the rumors had just been proven true right before her eyes: this woman was standing ridiculously close to Solari without losing a single strand of hair. Cassiopeia could acknowledge the woman possessed a beauty beyond measure, but her own burning jealousy and arrogant pride refused to accept reality—that the man who dominated her lustful fantasies was now being tamed by someone else.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Cassiopeia spat, unable to contain her burning jealousy. Her ego was severely bruised after being called an animal in heat right in front of Solari and the entire crowd, completely blinding her to what had just happened a moment ago.
"I am someone helping you ease that itchiness," Cana retorted with a smug smile. "Erus wanted you dead, but out of respect for the Guild Master, I'm simply helping you."
Cana pulled a single Black Star Token from her storage and held it up for everyone to see. The crowd had no idea why she was suddenly flaunting such a massive fortune.
"Anyone who can fully satisfy this woman gets this token," Cana announced, her voice echoing clearly. "And I'll double it for any group that can thoroughly fulfill her desires."
Cassiopeia's eyes widened in horror as the reality of Cana's words set in. There was no way in hell she would let random trash touch her.
"No! You can't do this! Nick, please help me! You can't let them trample on me—I'm your niece!" Cassiopeia sobbed, reaching for Nick, but he simply took several steps backward.
That was all the signal the hall needed. The room erupted into absolute chaos as a wave of sex-driven, intoxicated men charged toward Cassiopeia, completely unbothered by the token itself.
Erus froze. His jaw tightened as his crimson eyes darted from the gleaming Black Star Token in Cana's hand to the sudden, chaotic mob of drunkards surging past them.
He had been fully prepared to split Cassiopeia from head to toe, expecting Cana to either stop his blade or give him the green light to paint the floor red. Never in his wildest, most violent thoughts had he imagined this.
A dark, incredulous smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He slowly slid his sword back into its sheath with a sharp, heavy clack. The lingering bloodlust rolling off his body didn't vanish—it simply melted into a cold, twisted sense of amusement. Watching her pride get utterly torn to shreds gave him far greater satisfaction than spilling her blood on the floor ever could.
"Thank you for sparing her life," Nick said as he approached Cana. He knew it was hardly something to be grateful for, but at least his niece still had a chance to live.
"You should know better. This will not be the last time," Cana uttered, pure judgment gleaming in her eyes.
Nick nodded, knowing her words were not a hollow threat, but a direct warning. His blood ran cold when Cana offered him a faint smile—one Erus couldn't see. She hadn't even stayed in their territory for long, yet she made him feel as though death were lurking in every shadow whenever she was near.
The guild was still erupting with cheerful shouts and frantic screams when Erus and Cana decided to leave. They were heading into the forest to hunt.
"I didn't expect you to be that cruel," Erus muttered near Cana's ear.
"I'm glad I'm not too late to make it up to you for all the time I missed," Cana murmured.
"What?" Erus clearly heard her, but his brain was processing her words far too slowly.
"I'm asking if it satisfied you," Cana said, completely diverting the topic.
"Satisfied? No. I'm very happy—you showed me how to do it correctly."
Cana smirked, tossing the Black Star Token back into her spatial storage.
Seeing that smirk, Erus finally realized her lunatic side had resurfaced. He had barely noticed it earlier, far too blinded by his own rage. To top it off, she had scammed the whole guild—walking away without even losing her token.
What a badass, he thought, a dark grin spreading across his face.