Rita ran out in one breath, going quite a distance before realizing that no one seemed to be chasing her.
This development didn’t feel quite right.
Normally, shouldn’t there have been a whole group rushing out after her, just like back at the black market?
Then that poor girl could have taken advantage of the brief moment when she distracted the others to make her escape.
As for why Rita had to use running away as a way to draw them off—don’t ask.
It wasn’t like she instinctively chickened out when seeing a group of burly men charging at her!
In truth, all those guys combined weren’t even enough for Rita to handle alone, but just like at the black market, the sight of a bunch of underworld thugs barreling toward her was so overwhelming that Rita didn’t even consider fighting back at first.
Maybe it was the cautious attitude she had developed before crossing over—a sort of respectful distance toward criminal gangs—always feeling that getting involved with them could only lead to trouble.
Or rather, it’s those people who were model citizens before crossing over, but after, just a single glance at them would make others think they were courting death—those people were the ones with problems!
Still, she was a little worried about that girl surrounded on all sides.
She came here to save her; leaving her there alone just didn’t feel right.
Maybe she should put her nimble little brain to work and come up with another plan.
“So, what do we do now?”
The man leading the group chased after her a few steps but saw that Rita had no intention of looking back, so he stopped and quickly reorganized the team.
They all gathered back around Kros.
Kros, the focus of several pairs of eyes, was utterly embarrassed.
Her confusion was no less than anyone else’s.
One blunt man nearby said, “She ran off. Our plan’s a failure, right?”
Not wrong; it was indeed a failure.
But theoretically, it shouldn’t have gone like this!
How could a powerful, righteous Holy Knight abandon a girl in danger and run away alone?
That’s just pathetic!
What happened to the Knight’s Spirit?
What about the Fourth Place in the Examination?
What about Hero Saves the Beauty?
Why are a bunch of lowly villains the only ones who got away?
Are all these Holy Knights really like this?
This country’s doomed!
Though Kros knew there were some rotten apples among the Holy Knights, Rita still set a new low for her.
Her mind was a turbulent sea, but she couldn’t show it.
These people were supposedly here to help her, but if she admitted failure, they might turn against her.
Though they weren’t highly ranked, these women’s lackeys could easily bring her back to their mistress.
What the mistress might do to her then was anyone’s guess.
The lead man was subtly starting to apply pressure with his words. “We’ve been following you all day, put on this whole act, and if it ends in failure, we might as well report back to the mistress.”
“Don’t rush. She’ll come back,” Kros said calmly, silently praying that Rita still had some conscience left to rescue her from this mess.
“I don’t think so. She ran off. How could she come back…” Someone nearby was eager to kick her while she was down but was cut off by a sudden sound of footsteps.
The scouts on the perimeter hadn’t signaled retreat, so whoever was coming had to be Rita.
“Quick, follow the plan!” Seeing the others’ expressions shift from doubt to admiration, Kros quickly seized the moment and ordered.
The group closed in around Kros with sinister grins, ready to continue the performance.
Just as they got into position, more than a dozen fully armed soldiers rushed in through the alley entrance, with Rita standing at their front, pointing a finger.
“They’re the ones!”
“Lady Rita! You’ve worked hard!” The man dressed as the Captain closest to her gave a military salute, then waved his hand. “Charge! Don’t let them escape!”
The soldiers responded as one, brandishing long spears and swords, swarming forward.
“The time to make merit has come!”
“To protect the city’s safety! It’s our duty!”
What? What’s going on?
The nearby few thugs didn’t even realize what was happening before being knocked to the ground by gun butts, then pinned down by several hands.
They all had self-defense weapons, but it seemed like drawing them now wouldn’t make much difference.
Well, maybe a bit of a difference—one tough guy just pulled out a dagger, but immediately got two holes stabbed into his thigh and was now rolling on the ground howling.
A few had woken up to reality—they were just hired muscle, no match for the regular army. They hurriedly raised their hands and shouted “Ambush!”
“Wait! I surrender… pfft!”
Before finishing his sentence, he was punched down by a soldier shouting, “I don’t care what you say!” and ended up no better off than the rest.
Rita didn’t take part in the fight and strode straight over to a dumbfounded Kros.
Though Kros was stunned by the unfolding chaos.
Who has a hero rescue the beauty and then has to call for backup?! Aren’t they afraid they might have been unlucky if they had come too late?
“You’re okay? Sorry about that.”
Upon hearing Rita speak, Kros screamed in surprise, unable to hold the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
Clink—the dagger slipped from Kros’s sleeve, the sharp metallic sound echoing through the alley.
The once chaotic alley fell completely silent, all eyes fixed on the dagger lying at Kros’s feet.
This is… this is the end!
Rita bent down in full view of everyone, picked up the dagger, and pressed it into Kros’s palm.
“It’s good to have a self-defense weapon, but luckily you didn’t use it just now.”
Kros’s heart was pounding so hard she thought it would jump out of her throat.
Was this a warning?
Of course not.
Rita’s quick mind hadn’t thought that far ahead.
What Rita was thinking: If those guys got riled up, who knew what might happen to this poor girl?
Even with Rita standing before her, even with Kros holding the dagger, even if she wanted to stab right now, under Rita’s invisible pressure, Kros had no thought of resisting.
She had come to assassinate Rita just to survive.
Now, surrounded by soldiers, even if she succeeded, she would likely be subdued on the spot.
No! No reckless moves! Surely no one was that loyal to sacrifice their life for another’s!
But what about the scouts outside the alley? Such a large group rushed in with no signal at all?
“Report!” A soldier ran in with quick footsteps, breaking the eerie silence. “The scouts were caught! Seems they’re from some brothel!”
“Great! Forcing someone into prostitution, huh? Let’s beat them up first, then bring them back for lenient punishment!” The Captain glared fiercely at those on the ground and kicked one of them hard.
“Beat them!”
“Beat them hard!”
“Teach these scum a lesson!”
The soldiers roared in unison, lifting their weapons to kick the punks, who scrambled on the ground like little scamps with twin ponytails.
“Don’t look, don’t look.” Rita thoughtfully supported Kros’s back, guiding her a few steps out of the alley.
“You’re safe now. Go back first.”
Hearing Rita’s words, Kros felt as if she had been granted amnesty.
Ignoring the pleading eyes around her, clutching the dagger to her chest, she quickened her pace, leaving the alley filled with wails behind her.
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