“Unni, what on earth are you thinking?”

On the second day of the festival.

Early in the morning, Gyalnal confronted Ibis, who was already in the middle of getting dressed.

“What are you talking about?”

“Choosing an outsider, not even a noble but a commoner, as your festival partner, and declaring in front of everyone that you would take that man—what were you thinking?”

“My fiancé? Oh, you mean Gendry?”

He’s not my fiancé, though.

Ibis recalled how the illusion had been meticulously crafted.

“As I said before, he doesn’t suit me at all~.”

“This is a matter of the family’s dignity and honor.”

“What does that have to do with me? I’m Ibis, aren’t I? I come first.”

Currently, all the status and privileges that the Demon Sword enjoyed originally belonged to Gyalnal.

The illusionist who forcibly awakened her cast a powerful spell over the entire Zramun Archipelago with just a few words. This spell made everyone perceive her as Ibis Protect, the eldest daughter of the Protect family, while Gyalnal became the wise younger sister who stepped back from the line of succession for the peace of the family.

And for some reason, the dark magic did not work on Gendry, who was Gyalnal’s fiancé—an engaged couple deeply in love.

Overnight, a woman suddenly began behaving as if she were naturally the eldest daughter of the most prestigious family on the archipelago, while Gyalnal was seen as a wild troublemaker. The fiancée who once adored him now treated him coldly, and her position was reduced to that of a maid.

When Gendry cried out for this farce to be undone, Ibis proposed a deal to him. She promised to restore everything after the festival if he did as she instructed.

“So, what is it that you’re prioritizing, Unni?”

Ibis giggled.

“Fun.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m going to bring the most fun to this boring island.”

She was confident that she could make the crowd cheer like never before.

“You can look forward to it.”

Ibis’s eyes gleamed ominously.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Lin and Lucy were utterly exhausted.

Despite waking up early, Ibis had already finished dressing and was waiting for them.

“There’s no time to waste! Hurry, hurry!”

They were practically pushed out of the mansion and were dragged around the various stalls without a single break. They tried on and examined every trinket and souvenir, no matter how low in quality, and sampled all the street food they could find. They ended up looking like nothing more than a noble lady and her porters.

Even Gendry, who had been glaring at them from afar, eventually lost interest and didn’t interfere.

“My lady, you’ve already visited all the festival stalls by noon. Perhaps it’s time for a break…?”

Even Gyalnal, who had been following along, was gasping for breath.

“Oh, right! There were some items I couldn’t buy earlier. Gyalnal, please find everything on this list and bring them to me by evening.”

“What? All of this?”

The paper Ibis handed over was so long that when held up, it nearly reached Gyalnal’s knees.

“It’s an economic cycle. By setting an example as consumers in these markets, we ensure that merchants and event planners will return next time, creating a successful festival.”

“But without any protection…”

Ibis then pointed to Lin and Lucy.

“There are two people right here.”

“They’re outsiders!”

“Gyalnal, do you think anyone on this archipelago would dare touch a member of the Protect family?”

“There are more outsiders than islanders during the festival.”

“I’ll carry a signal flare. If anything happens, you’ll come running when it bursts in the sky, right?”

“Sigh, please be careful, Unni.”

Reluctantly, Gyalnal left for the festival market. Ibis didn’t dislike her sister’s concern—on the contrary, that’s why she wanted to keep her far away from herself, the most dangerous enemy.

“Well then, we’ve ended up here somehow.”

They were standing on a deserted beach. Everyone had gathered at the festival market, leaving the coast completely empty.

The atmosphere suggested that something serious was about to be discussed.

Lin and Lucy exchanged glances. They decided to handle it as they had practiced the night before.

After replenishing Lin’s energy throughout the night, Lucy was sharp today, determined not to make any mistakes.

She braced herself, listening intently to the young lady’s words.

However—

“Now! Mr. Chunsik and Miss Suni! We are going to find Guerrero Protect’s tomb from this moment on!”

Ibis’s demand made all the plans and rehearsals Lin and Lucy had painstakingly prepared the previous day meaningless.

“What?”

“Suddenly, like this…”

Both Lin and Lucy questioned her, but Ibis waved her finger, dismissing any objections.

“You saw it earlier, right? Even as the eldest daughter and heir of the Protect family, the servants dared to talk back to me!”

Well, she’s your sister.

It’s only natural for her to do that.

And Gyalnal’s objections were entirely reasonable.

“To properly inherit the family, it’s necessary to accomplish a feat that no one in the family has ever achieved.”

And that’s precisely why we must find Guerrero Protect’s tomb, Ibis declared.

However, Lin and Lucy thought differently. They suspected Ibis of being a demon sorceress, eager to obtain the Demon Sword as quickly as possible.

If she, a dual swordswoman, were to wield the Demon Sword, even a coordinated attack by the Hero Party would not be able to stop her.

While the spearman was created as Lucy’s rival, the dual swordswoman, who was also a vampire, was the true adversary of the Hero Party as a whole.

She was a weapon that could devastate both individuals and armies alike, a master of manipulating the battlefield to her advantage, far surpassing the illusionist who excelled at controlling the board or the spearman who could expertly target a Hero Party member.

Lucy was certain of one thing: They had to comply.

And they had to find Guerrero’s tomb and the Demon Sword before Ibis did.

“How do you plan to find it?”

“In fact, I’ve already searched every corner of the island’s interior. It’s definitely not there. So today, we’ll search along the coast.”

Ibis pointed behind her, then gestured ahead.

“I’ll go this way.”

“You two can go straight ahead~.”

“You’re going to explore the opposite side without any protection?”

“Oh, then I’ll take Miss Suni with me.”

Ibis responded quickly to Lin’s question, as if she had been waiting for it.

“What? Me?!”

“Are you suggesting that a noble lady should walk around with an outsider man alone? Even if I did choose him as my partner, that’s not appropriate.”

We’re caught.

If Lin had pointed out the lack of protection, she would have likely expected Ibis to suggest that they all go together. If they all went together, Lucy’s superior eyesight would have allowed them to find the tomb first and secure the advantage.

But Ibis chose Lucy for the most logical reason. Why had he assumed she would choose him? Lin regretted his moment of vanity. He should have remained humble.

The kindness of a companion, especially from the opposite sex, was indeed a sweet poison, even causing someone as emotionally dulled as him to let his guard down.

“It seems too dangerous to leave Chunsik alone. After all, there was someone who picked a fight with him yesterday. It would be safer if we all went together…”

Lucy interjected at just the right moment, but Ibis handed Lin a large firework without a word.

“This is a signal flare. Shoot it into the sky if anything happens.”

“But that won’t…”

“Surely, it’s not more dangerous for a man to be alone than two women.”

Since yesterday, they hadn’t been able to overcome Ibis’s unreasonable demands.

If Ibis had been a mere human, it would have been better to suppress her by force with Lucy’s help, but revealing their fangs to someone suspected of being a demon without proper weapons was the worst possible strategy.

Lin knew that not every situation could turn in his favor, but getting caught off guard twice was painful.

Stay calm; every crisis is an opportunity.

Once alone, he planned to use skill scrolls to enhance his body and reinforce his defenses. It wasn’t like him, but he decided to focus on self-preservation until Lucy could purify the Demon Sword and turn it into a Holy Sword.

If he disappeared, Lucy’s mental state would crumble.

When Lin gave a nod, indicating his consent, Lucy bit her lip.

She didn’t like this situation, knowing that they had to take the bait.

“Since it’s the Protect family’s signal flare, the entire archipelago will rush to your aid when it goes off.”

“…Thank you, I’ll accept it.”

“Now that we’ve taken care of all safety measures, let’s start the exploration!”

The two groups separated and turned their backs on each other.

Lin intentionally moved away quickly to use his skill scrolls, and Lucy kept her focus on him.

When the distance was so great that Lin looked like a mere dot, Lucy infused the red string connecting them with magic.

“Heh, I see. So that’s the trick.”

“…?!”

“Red and gold… I chose correctly, didn’t I?”

The young lady, filled with intense curiosity, looked at the Hero.

Lucy leapt back in shock.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s just that I’m overly sensitive. Even a Grand Mage wouldn’t be able to detect it easily.”

“You’re finally revealing your true self.”

“Oh? You knew?”

I thought you were just a musclehead.

Ibis, pleased that Lucy had noticed, decided to introduce herself properly.

“That’s right! I’m actually a…”

“I know, you’re a demon sorceress.”

“…Huh?”

“I knew from the moment you acted friendly with Lin. I’ve known all along that you demon sorceress bitches have been after my Lin!”

Disappointed.

Terribly disappointed.

Still, Ibis decided to go over a few things for Lucy’s sake.

“For starters, you should refrain from calling the porter’s name in front of others. If too many people find out who he really is, it could be troublesome later.”

“The demon sorceresses have been calling him Lin from the start anyway.”

“Well, of course they have. He’s their dream prince. But not me.”

“Not you?”

“Of course not. I’m not a demon.”

A black energy exploded outward.

The scorching sunlight was completely blocked by a dark shroud, leaving only Ibis and Lucy in the black space.

Though dark, the energy was different from demonic energy.

“Even if I’m just a demon’s imitation~.”

Clang!

Ibis’s right arm transformed into a sword, black yet gleaming with a sharp light, making her outline visible even in the darkness.

“You take one too.”

A red-glowing sword appeared out of nowhere and stuck into the ground at Lucy’s feet.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Sigh, really?”

She had thought Lucy had some sense, but now this?

The future seemed bleak.

“I’m just a sword that pursues fun. In the human world, I’m called a Demon Sword. Few remember me, though.”

The sword that was now Ibis’s right arm pointed at Lucy.

“You’ve been tracking the porter’s location, right? You should. He’s much more important than you think.”

Of course she had been.

The red thread on her pinky finger still indicated that Lin was safe.

“Let me formally introduce myself. I’m the Demon Sword ‘Abyss,’ the first Hnoni, if that means anything to you.”

“I’m familiar with Demon Swords. Lin told me about you. He said I’d need you to defeat the demon sorceresses.”

“Oh, really? To do that, you’d have to turn me into a Holy Sword first. Do you know how?”

“Of course.”

Lucy gripped the red sword.

Ah, this cold and heavy sensation.

It had been a long time.

“He said I had to subdue you by force.”

“Hahahahahaha!”

This is pretty funny!

“That’s right! To move forward, you’ll have to do that, but man, that porter is something.”

“Do you like Lin too?”

“No, I like fun. I’m not interested in humans. But you know what? The greatest fun is…”

Slash!

The five fingers on her left hand turned into blades.

“…The regretful face of a human who wounded something precious with their own hands.”

The Demon Sword gestured for Lucy to come closer.

“Now, let’s have a conversation with swords. I’ll show you the nightmarish challenges that lie ahead.”

But,

“If you can’t defeat me, Lin will die before the day ends. At someone’s hands.”

“Those words…”

A dazzling red and gold light burst forth.

In the darkness, Lucy’s power shone brightly.

“I’ll make you regret it.”

“Hahahahahaha!”

The Demon Sword laughed loudly.

In the darkness, Abyss stared at Lucy.

A gust of wind kicked up as Lucy lunged forward.

“I just told you, my favorite fun is regret!”

The black Demon Sword and the red and gold Hero clashed fiercely.