Chapter Seventy-One: Reinforcements Arrive

Hearing such words at a time like this, even a fool would know what was about to happen next!

Alex felt as if an explosive rage was swelling in his chest. That detestable foreigner was about to take away the woman he loved most! He absolutely could not let such a thing happen, but the rope binding him had only been cut halfway, and the cell door was tightly locked.

He could no longer wait patiently, desperately trying to sever the rope. He had to be faster! Faster still! He had to rush out and kill that foreigner, to protect his beloved Perrin!

"Hurry up! Break, damn it!" Alex’s eyes were bloodshot as he frantically used the shard of porcelain to cut, feeling nothing even as his hand was slashed and began to bleed. All he wanted was to escape the cell and rescue Perrin from the foreigner’s hands!

But the next moment, he heard Perrin’s cry of pain, clear and unmistakable.

Perrin’s face never showed emotion, but that didn’t mean she was numb. Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, pain—she felt them all the same.

Once again, the residential building echoed with unbearable, ethereal music, and this time, the leading lady was the woman Alex loved with all his heart!

“No—!!” Alex didn’t know where the strength came from; he tore apart the half-cut rope, threw himself to the door, and pulled at it with all his might, making a thunderous noise. “Perrin!! My Perrin!! Bastard! I’ll kill you!!”

The vengeance for his father and the hatred of losing his beloved—these were the most intolerable pains!

“Perrin!!” Alex’s ears were filled with the sound of his beloved, her lips emitting gasps he’d never heard before, igniting an inexplicable surge of power in his chest. With a furious roar, he channeled all that strength into his fist and, incredibly, smashed through the cell door.

“I’ll kill you—!!” he screamed, eyes red as he charged toward the residential building, his mind consumed with thoughts of “Kill! Kill! Kill!”

“Fuh-ha!” A fireball shot toward him. The kobold chieftain had appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.

“Get out of my way!! Let me through!!” Alex rushed forward like a madman.

“Thud-thud-thud!!” A hail of crossbow bolts rained down upon him.

“Ah—!!” Though Alex dodged nimbly, one bolt struck his right arm. He was unwilling to give up, but faced with such numbers—the kobold army and their powerful chieftain—he was hopelessly outmatched! Injured, there was no way to save his men.

As the kobold chieftain and the crossbow squad advanced, the alluring sounds from Perrin reached his ears, pushing his rage to the point where he bit through his own tongue, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

“I will kill you!!” Alex roared, suddenly turning and sprinting toward the city gate.

“Fuh-ha!!”

“Thud-thud-thud!!”

Fireballs and crossbow bolts flew at him, but before they could hit, he scaled the city wall and leapt out!

The kobold chieftain and the crossbow troops chased to the gate but instantly lost sight of Alex. Without orders to pursue, they quickly retreated, surrounding Alex’s subordinates to prevent any further escapes.

Alex fled the city, carrying overwhelming hatred, humiliation, and fury. He had never suffered such treatment in his life! Especially when he recalled Perrin’s cries as she was tossed about by that foreigner—he nearly lost all reason.

But he had to endure. He had to keep himself clear-headed! If he died here, he would never avenge his father, never have a chance to reclaim Perrin. No matter what Perrin became, he would bring her back! She should always belong to him alone!

Alex was fortunate; on his way home, he didn’t encounter any beasts from the monster forest. Perhaps the werewolves had killed them while escorting the villagers home.

He reached the valley and, from a vantage point, saw the werewolves emerging from the distant village. Quickly, he found a concealed spot to hide.

Wolf drew nearer, stopping at the valley’s edge and, unexpectedly, looked directly toward Alex’s hiding place. “The scent of blood…”

“Discovered by the werewolf?” Alex held his breath nervously, hearing his own heartbeat. He was tense, terrified that the werewolf would come and find him, killing him on the spot!

Wolf sniffed a few times, his ears twitching as if he heard something, then suddenly sped up and ran swiftly into the forest.

Though Alex didn’t know what had happened, at least he was safe. He finally breathed deeply, emerging from his hiding place.

Just as he came out, a cavalry unit burst out near the village, numbering in the hundreds! All the riders wore the uniforms of the Town Guard, led by Captain Brent, with Bekaron—his own envoy—at his side.

“Captain!!” Alex, feeling as if he’d found family, clutched his wounded right arm and ran down, “Captain!!”

“Master Alex!!” Bekaron was stunned at the sight of the battered Alex.

“Alex, what happened to you?” Brent rode forward, frowning.

“Captain!” Alex’s face was full of grievance. “We reached the city gates. Who would have thought that the foreigner was so despicable, sending Perrin to fight! For some reason, Perrin obeyed him completely, and in a moment, she caught me and locked me up. The most hateful thing is those villagers—they turned traitor and helped the enemy! If not for them, I would have caught the foreigner and the traitors long ago!”

“Isn’t Perrin dead?”

“No! Perrin was captured by the kobolds controlled by the foreigner,” Alex replied. “That foreigner can control kobolds, so he must possess some evil magic. It must be his magic controlling Perrin, which made her challenge him and then lose, becoming his follower! She fought me with all her strength, showing no mercy!”

“Magic?” Brent shook his head. “Perrin is simply a strong-willed child; she would certainly demand a duel. I just didn’t expect that the Perrin, raised solely for combat since childhood, would be defeated! Their side must have someone as strong as me!”

“Captain, I’m sure Perrin was controlled! Otherwise, she would never attack me!” Alex said anxiously. “And now… now…”

“Perrin is a warrior I personally trained. In her mind, there is only combat and obedience! In the Town Guard camp, she obeyed the captain, but once she became a follower, she obeys her new master! Alex, I know you love Perrin. But remember, never let your guard down around her. Even I, if faced with her now, would likely be attacked without mercy. She simply doesn’t understand what feelings are!” Brent sighed. “Mount up! We ride to battle!”