I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 72 – Crimson Flame (3)

—Irene.

Sometimes, she wondered.

If she had been stronger.

Could she have prevented all the tragedies of the past?

—You can no longer stay by my side… and you mustn’t.

—So, this is farewell.

The silent back of her departing master.

A scene filled with regret.

If only she hadn’t let him go alone.

If only she had been strong enough to protect him.

—Please, survive.

It always felt like it was her fault.

That’s why she pushed herself so hard.

She swung her sword, drenched in sweat, freezing her broken heart with determination.

Determined never to falter again.

‘But…’n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

She wasn’t sure if that was enough.

Simply doing her best didn’t always lead to good results.

The girl still felt powerless.

She simply pressed on.

Even through the crushing sense of helplessness.

Searching for the star her master had spoken of.

—Find your star.

The fox wandered through the pitch-black darkness of dawn.

The sky turned dark.

Storm clouds gathered swiftly, swallowing the sun, and the rain began to fall in heavy droplets.

Was a storm brewing?

The wind was fierce, a bad omen.

Whooosh.

The thin rain soon thickened, carried by the violent sea breeze.

It was the worst possible weather for a voyage.

The rain poured down in torrents, driven by the storm’s fury.

Yet despite the terrible weather.

A confrontation was unfolding on the ship’s deck.

The sharp sounds of impact echoed through the air.

Thud! Thwack!

The hound’s fist slammed into Irene’s stomach.

She gasped in pain, and then a kick struck her shin.

The fox staggered for a moment.

"Ugh…!"

Her breath came out in ragged gasps of pain.

She tried to steady herself, but her exhausted body looked ready to collapse at any moment.

Irene barely managed to stay conscious.

Standing before her was the man in the gray robe.

"See? You should’ve just behaved yourself."

The hound sneered.

His lips curled into a wicked smile.

He even hummed a tune, clearly enjoying the situation.

The hound casually rotated his wrist.

"Do you like getting hit or something? Why do you keep giving me reasons to hit you?"

"…"

"What’s that? No answer?"

Smack!

Though it was called a confrontation, it was actually closer to a one-sided beating.

Irene was barely conscious.

She didn’t even have the strength to properly hold her sword.

And it was no wonder.

She’d been sedated, sprinted at full speed instead of passing out, cut down dozens of guards, and made it all the way to the top deck.

She had no energy left to resist.

"You tough little thing… How are you still standing?"

Anyone else would have collapsed by now.

Irene was holding on with sheer willpower.

"Well, at least it’s entertaining! You’ve still got that endurance, huh?"

Grab.

The hound seized the girl by her hair.

He yanked her head up, locking her in place, then slapped her hard across the face.

Smack!

A stinging pain burned on her pale cheek, leaving a red mark.

Blood dripped from her lips, probably from a cut inside her mouth.

The hound laughed openly.

"You know it, don’t you? You’ll never beat me."

"…"

"Have you forgotten who captured you and your little siblings? This is the second time you’ve been caught by me."

The fox couldn’t argue.

It was all true.

Irene had already lost to the hound once before.

When she had been sneaking her siblings out of the village, it was this very man who relentlessly pursued them.

In the end, he had beaten her down and thrown her into a cage.

"Face it. This is your fate."

It was the same now.

She was too exhausted to deal with an opponent like him.

"So… shall we continue?"

The hound raised his hand again, ready to strike, but before he could, a voice stopped him.

"That’s enough."

It was the young man in the suit.

The "guest" who had been watching the situation unfold from the sidelines.

He calmly intervened.

"If you continue, you’ll damage the product’s value."

"What the hell? I told you not to butt in."

"I’m simply giving you a rational observation. If you leave a scar, your employer won’t be pleased."

"…Tch. I know that."

The mention of his employer seemed to have an effect.

The hound clicked his tongue and stepped back.

As he released her hair, Irene’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to one knee.

"…"

"Hmm? Is the drug finally kicking in?"

"She held out for quite a while. That sedative knocks out even bear beastfolk with one dose. The fact that she’s still conscious is remarkable."

"Well, it’s over now."

The hound dusted off his hands, showing no hesitation as he turned to the soldiers still standing nearby.

"Move her. Don’t damage her, or I’ll make sure you regret it."

"Yes, sir!"

A few soldiers approached the fox.

Her body was a wreck, and she lay limp, her spirit seemingly crushed.

"…"

Irene didn’t resist.

She had given up.

She had done enough.

At least she had given it her best. It felt like it was time to stop fighting.

The despair was overwhelming, too much to hold on to hope.

—Is it okay to hope for a miracle, just a little?

—Who knows? Maybe a prince on a white horse will come to save us.

She remembered the words Anne had once said to her.

Back when they were trapped in the dark magician’s lab, Anne had tried to encourage her to hold on to hope.

Irene bit her lip.

Yes.

Playing the role of the princess in distress.

Sitting still and waiting for a prince on a white horse wasn’t such a bad experience after all.

It felt comforting to think she might be rescued from her weakness.

'But…'

Would she really rely on that again?

How many times had it been?

If she kept waiting for help whenever she was in danger, how many white knights would it take to save her throughout her life?

The girl was skeptical.

'Maybe.'

Maybe this was how it was meant to be.

Even though she had faced the enemy who had killed her master, she hadn’t even managed to leave a scratch, let alone get revenge.

She had been toyed with, completely powerless.

What was the point of struggling so pathetically?

If she couldn’t live her life without the help of others, could that really be considered a life at all?

She had no right to wish for a prince on a white horse.

She could only offer her neck to the danger that loomed ahead.

"…"

Irene was sinking deeper into despair.

Perhaps it was her exhausted body that made her thoughts so bleak.

As her arms were grabbed by the soldiers.

<Irene.>

A familiar voice echoed in her ears.

It was her master’s voice.

Was she so far gone that she was hearing things now?

Irene blinked her unfocused eyes.

<Why do you not rise?>

Her mind was clouded, and it was hard to tell what was real.

The girl answered weakly.

<Aren’t you going to fight?>

I’m too tired.

My body won’t move anymore.

<You’ve changed.>

<You weren’t the type to make excuses.>

<If someone pissed you off, you’d stand up and fight over and over again until they learned their lesson.>

Two years is a long time.

A lot has happened.

You wouldn’t believe how hellish it’s been since you left.

I don’t even remember how I survived it.

<It sounds like you’re whining.>

It’s been a while.

Can’t you just listen to your student’s complaints?

<I’m not here to scold you.>

<I’m just surprised.>

<I thought you’d closed yourself off after that day, but it seems you still have the courage to pour your heart out to someone.>

Well, it’s just a hallucination anyway.

<Think what you will.>

It doesn’t really matter anymore.

<You’ve really hit a wall, haven’t you?>

<What kind of person did you meet to make someone as stubborn as you give up?>

One of the people who killed you.

I tried to fight, but with this tired body, I didn’t stand a chance.

<Won’t you regret it?>

<The young foxes are waiting for their sister to come back. Will you really leave them behind?>

<Then why are you wearing that pained expression?>

What do you expect me to do?

I want to stay with them, but wishing alone won’t solve anything.

<Irene.>

I’ve faced many dangers, but I really don’t think I’ll make it through this one.

<You’ve forgotten my teachings.>

<The things I told you… Have you already erased them from your memory?>

<I told you to always remember.>

I remember.

You told me never to surrender.

To be someone who never bows their head.

<Even if you face something unfair, it’s okay.>

<Even if everything you are is denied, and all that’s left is a trembling mess, it’s fine.>

<Just don’t bend what you believe is right.>

<That’s what life is.>

<How many times did I tell you that?>

I tried to live that way.

Because I wanted to be like you.

Even if I didn’t do it perfectly, I think I lived in the right direction.

Maybe a little too stubbornly.

<That’s enough.>

Is it really?

<The heart resides in the sword.>

<Every step you’ve taken in your life gathers to illuminate your sword.>

<Now is the time to meet your true self.>

True self...?

<Open your eyes, Irene.>

<In your hands, which have walked the straight path, a light more brilliant than anything else will surely dwell.>

<You shall become a flame that burns pure white.>

<Right every injustice and bring the wicked to their knees.>

“...”

Irene stood in place.

Whispers coloring her ears.

As she mulled over the calm voice, her hazy consciousness gradually began to sharpen.

It felt as though a realization she had been missing was suddenly sparking to life.

- You must find your star.

For the first time, the girl understood the meaning of those words.

Until now, she had thought of the word star as referring to 'cherished people' or 'beliefs to uphold,' but in reality, it encompassed a much broader concept.

A star signifies life itself.

<Open your eyes.>

The direction in which she wished to move in her life.

Only after establishing that could life finally dwell in the sword.

It would be imbued with true light.

Irene Foxis.

The direction that name held.

The life that followed.

The star she aspired to.

The sword that would eventually come to fruition.

<Open your eyes.>

As the pitch-black dawn passed, a name emerged with the arrival of the long-awaited dawn.

It is none other than the name of the life dwelling within the girl’s sword.

Crimson Flame.

Whoosh-!

Suddenly, flames burst forth.

The hot heat began to rise, starting to erase even the biting chill of the raging storm.

The pouring rain evaporated before it could even wet her body.

Amidst the overwhelming heat,

“...Burn.”

The girl opened her eyes.

Meanwhile,

There was a half-lidded gaze watching all of this unfold.

“Finally, the emergence of the Crimson Flame.”

The snake muttered.

The voice that had been acting as the fox’s master soon returned to its youthful form.

A sinister smile graced its lips.

“It is the time of awakening.”

The wicked resonance flicked its tongue.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]