NOVEL NEXT Chapter 189
Chapter 189
Diana Fren sat slumped on the ground, her eyes unfocused, lost in the infinite illusions.
Around her, the dozens of assassins who had attacked lay unconscious.
I looked at the scene before me and muttered to myself, “Still holding on?”
[Man, she’s tough, really tough. Is she even human?]
Airsya buzzed around, clearly exasperated.
Frilla, the Spirit of Sloth, nodded in agreement with Airsya’s words.
[Her mental resistance is impressive for her age. Most girls would have broken down long ago.]
The illusion Diana was trapped in wasn’t particularly complex. It was simple yet cruel: showing her the most painful version of her downfall—losing her position as the heir of the Fren Merchant Guild and being thrown out of her family, forced into a life worse than that of a slave.
At the same time, she was being tormented by nightmares and the things she feared most, repeatedly shown to her in the illusion.
“No wonder she’s called the Iron-Blooded Diana.”
As expected from a named character, breaking her spirit wasn’t easy. But it was only a matter of time. In the perfectly cast
Just then—
[Hey, Kamon, someone’s coming this way.]
Airsya warned, her voice more serious than before.
“What?”
I quickly checked the flow of mana around us, and sure enough, there was a group approaching.
“Is it people from the Romanoff Duke’s household?”
Judging by the number of auras, it seemed likely they were soldiers or knights from Duke Romanoff’s forces. But at the same time—
“Hm? There’s one ahead of them… and it feels familiar.”
I tilted my head, recognizing the energy signature.
[It seems like someone is being chased.]
Frilla added, answering the unspoken question in my expression.
“Chased?”
[Judging by the energy, it’s that girl Chelsea.]
“What? Chelsea?”
The name took me by surprise.
As I focused, the energy signature came closer at an alarming speed.
I looked back at Diana, still slumped and trapped in the illusion.
“How much longer?” I asked.
[She’s still resisting. Unbelievable.]
Airsya answered, a hint of frustration in her voice.
“Tsk.”
I had planned to fully deal with Diana, ensuring that she wouldn’t be a threat anymore. But now, with people approaching, there was a risk they’d discover what was happening. Diana Fren might be forcibly pulled out of the
The spell was fragile—one weak external impact, and it would break.
At that moment—
[Master, I can enter her mind and help maintain the spell from within.]
Frilla suddenly suggested, catching my attention.
“What?”
[Airsya mentioned the spell is weak to external interference. But if I enter her body and maintain the spell internally, even with external shocks, it should remain intact.]
Hearing this, I quickly turned to Airsya.
“Airsya, is that possible?”
[Hmm, in theory, yes. If one of us spirits holds the spell in place, it won’t break. But…]
“But?”
[There’s a risk. If something goes wrong, the spirit could get caught in the spell and be erased. That’s why *I* wouldn’t do it.]
Airsya’s voice was filled with irritation.
I shook my head immediately.
“Forget it, we’re not doing that.”
[Master, I’m willing to do it.]
Frilla insisted.
“No, I refuse. I’m not the kind of person who takes reckless gambles with my spirits.”
[Master…]
Frilla’s eyes sparkled with a kind of emotional gratitude.
I gave her a small nod and turned back to the task at hand.
[She’s here.]
Airsya said.
*Tadak.*
At the same moment, a figure swiftly approached, stopping right in front of me.
“Kamon!”
“Chelsea.”
Just as Airsya had predicted, the figure was none other than Chelsea Artine. She called my name urgently, her eyes scanning the surroundings, taking in the scene of unconscious assassins and Diana, sitting in a daze.
“What happened here? Are you okay?”
Her voice was filled with concern.
“I’m fine. Nothing serious. But why were you being chased?”
I knew that Duke Romanoff was moving against me, but the student council members were a separate matter. Why had Chelsea gotten involved?
Chelsea bit down hard on her lower lip before speaking.
“That man surrounded the entire dormitory. And then… they knocked out President Cecilia and took her away.”
“What?”
“I couldn’t just stay there, helpless, so I escaped before something worse happened.”
I remained silent for a moment, processing her words.
Duke Romanoff had clearly made up his mind. He was moving decisively to eliminate me, going as far as to detain the student council members to prevent any interference.
‘Chelsea must have fought back and managed to escape,’ I thought.
“What about them?”
Chelsea glanced at the assassins scattered around and Diana, who was still sitting lifelessly in the illusion.
“Assassins.”
“What?”
Her eyes widened in shock.
“Why do you look so surprised? You know this happens all the time.”
Chelsea shook her head in disbelief before turning her gaze to Diana.
“And what about her?”
“Yeah, she’s getting… ‘educated.’”
“Educated?”
“Yeah, I’m teaching her to recognize her place.”
I grinned, a dark smile spreading across my face.
[Airsya’s right. This isn’t the time to be so relaxed.]
[Master, the pursuers are getting closer.]
Airsya and Frilla’s voices echoed in my mind.
And then—
“There they are!”
“They’re over here! Wait, what’s that?”
The knights and soldiers of the Romanoff Duke’s household finally arrived, spotting me and Chelsea.
“There, that’s Kamon Vade, right?”
“Report to the Duke immediately. Tell him we’ve found Kamon Vade.”
They quickly tightened the circle around us, forming a barrier that closed in, leaving little room for escape.
Chelsea, noticing their intent, shot them a sharp look before speaking to me in a serious tone.
“They’re after you, right?”
“Yeah, you know how popular I am.”
I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood, though the situation was far from amusing.
Chelsea shook her head in disbelief, but her eyes hardened with resolve.
“Kamon, I’ll hold them off here. You need to escape. Once you’re out of Romanoff territory, they won’t be able to chase you.”
Her voice was steady, but it was clear she was ready to sacrifice herself for me. I responded in a low voice.
“And what about you?”
“I’ll be fine. If things get too dicey, I can always use my master’s name to get out of trouble.”
She smiled faintly, her fingers brushing the hairpin in her hair as she spoke.
“This is my way of repaying the favor for that gift you gave me.”
“What?”
“We’ll meet again, Kamon.”
Before I could even react or respond, Chelsea was already dashing towards the soldiers, ready to break through their ranks.
But I wasn’t about to let her face them alone.
“No need for that. Airsya!”
[Ugh, how many times is this today?]
[Hurry, follow Master’s command!]
With the voices of my two spirits ringing in my ears, a giant butterfly-shaped light began to form on the ground beneath us.
“What the… What is this?”
It was a large-scale spirit formation I had used once before—designed to throw people into confusion.
From the giant butterfly-shaped light, small lights shot out, transforming into the shapes of real butterflies, which fluttered towards the knights and soldiers.
“What the—?”
“W-What’s happening?”
As the illusions unfolded before them, the soldiers became confused, their perception distorted by the overwhelming illusions.
Chelsea, who had been about to charge forward, stopped in her tracks, her expression turning blank as she processed what was happening.
I grabbed her hand before she could react further.
“Let’s go, Chelsea.”
For a moment, she seemed startled by my sudden action, her eyes widening in surprise.
“…?!”
But then, her expression softened into a faint smile, and she nodded.
“Okay.”
***
*Gasp!*
Diana Fren awoke with a start, gasping for air. Her chest heaved as she tried to steady her breathing, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar room.
What she saw first was—
“Are you awake?”
“Duke… Romanoff?”
It was Vitell Romanoff, his gaze cold and impassive as he looked down at her.
Still disoriented, Diana stared at him, confusion clouding her expression. But soon, a wave of pain hit her, and she grabbed her head with one hand, wincing.
“Ugh.”
“It seems the aftereffects are still lingering.”
Romanoff spoke in his usual monotone, acknowledging her struggle, then continued with a nod.
“I heard it was a powerful mental magic. If you’re having difficulty, we can talk later.”
“N-No, I’m… fine… Ugh!”
Diana gritted her teeth, her face contorting in pain again, but she forced herself to endure it, biting down hard on her lower lip.
“I’m fine.”
And then—
“What about Kamon? That bastard… what happened to him?”
“He disappeared.”
“What?”
“He left you behind and vanished.”
Romanoff explained the situation calmly. Kamon Vade had used some kind of mysterious power to cast a mass confusion spell on the soldiers surrounding him. Taking advantage of the chaos, he escaped with Chelsea Artin. By the time Romanoff’s elite knights arrived, it was already too late.
“The only one left behind was you. Reviving you wasn’t an easy task either.”
Diana had been trapped in Kamon’s mental magic for a long time, experiencing endless torment. Romanoff hadn’t had any reason to help her, but he had chosen to break the spell and free her.
Even the mages under the Duke’s command had struggled to remove the strange, unnatural magic that had been etched into her mind.
“…”
Listening quietly, Diana bowed her head.
“I will never forget this favor, Your Grace.”
Her voice was firm, resolute, as she expressed her gratitude.
Romanoff gave a slight nod in response.
“I expect nothing less.”
“…”
After a brief silence, Diana looked up at him again, determination flashing in her eyes.
“Are you still pursuing Kamon?”
Vitell Romanoff turned his gaze to the window, staring out without answering immediately.
“…”
The silence stretched long enough for Diana to understand the meaning behind it. Romanoff was indeed chasing Kamon, but there had been no significant results yet.
That’s why—
“Please, give me another chance. I will capture him—”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
Romanoff cut her off, his voice resolute, leaving no room for argument.
Then, his gaze darkened as he added.
“I will take care of him. No matter where he hides, there is no place within the reach of Romanoff’s name where he will escape.”
Despite the calmness in his tone, there was a dark and foreboding weight to his words, like an ominous shadow creeping into the air.
Diana could sense it—if things continued like this, the Fren Merchant Guild’s influence might be completely swallowed by the Romanoff family. Desperation filled her as she quickly bowed her head again, pleading.
“Then please, let me assist you. If Kamon and his companions make contact with the outside, things could become complicated. I can mobilize all the personnel and networks of the Fren Merchant Guild currently in the territory—”
“No need.”
“What?”
“I’ve already blocked all the mana across the entire territory, severing communication with the outside world.”
Romanoff’s voice was cold, unyielding. Diana stood there, processing what he had just said, her mind racing.
‘Cut off all mana in the entire territory?’
That meant that no matter where in the Romanoff domain—whether cities, towns, or villages—communication with the outside world had been completely severed. No one would know what was happening here until it was too late.
A chill ran down Diana’s spine as she realized the full implications of his actions. Fear crept into her, and she struggled to maintain her composure as she stared at the Duke.
“…So, what will you give me in return?”
Vitell Romanoff asked suddenly.
“Pardon?”
“I saved your life, didn’t I? As a merchant, surely you know the value of such things. So tell me, how much is your life worth?”
A chilling smile crept across Romanoff’s face as he asked the question, and Diana Fren’s face turned pale as a sheet.
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