In the end, no one could defy the former lord’s command. Everyone split up to search the castle—half assigned to the first floor, the other half to the second.
But those headed to the second floor didn’t make it far. Halfway up the stairs, they suddenly turned back—scrambling on all fours.
“W-Whoa, what the hell?! It’s slippery!”
“No, I’m gonna fall! Damn it, it’s hot!”
“Don’t come this way! Ugh!”
The one turning fully grown men into tap-dancing fools was a Russian Blue cat—wearing oven mitts. Elizabeth checked the pot of now-empty boiling oil and muttered to herself,
“Time to get back to the kitchen. Still got a few stragglers wandering around who need a spritz of chili powder and lemon juice.”
She was on the second floor. The kitchen was on the first. The stairs were a slick disaster from the oil, but that didn’t bother her. Elizabeth leapt from the handrail straight to the ground floor.
She landed with graceful perfection.
By now, a human tower had formed at the foot of the stairs—what awaited them was the merciless fury of one very pissed-off bunny.
“You bastards! Give Bell back!”
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
Weirdly enough, no one even screamed. Everyone hit by the broom dropped instantly. A perfect one-hit knockout. The way each blow struck cleanly on the vital points was downright masterful.
As the number of uninjured intruders dwindled, more of them started to realize something.
“Seriously? All this trouble for a damn rat?”
“I’m not a rat! I’m a bunny, you moron!”
Marianne’s broom skills were top-tier—but only as long as she had her weapon. Once she lost it, she was vulnerable. A man grabbed her by the scruff as she flailed, eyes wide.
“What the… It talks? Don’t tell me this tiny thing is the monster?”
“Why’d she go quiet all of a sudden? Hey, are you the monster in this castle or not? Should we bring you in as evidence or what?”
Tears of humiliation welled up in Marianne’s eyes.
“Evidence”? “Monster”?
Bell always told her she was the cutest thing in the world. She remembered the way his whole face would light up whenever he saw her. She missed him—desperately.
For him, she wasn’t going down like this.
“Wait, are you crying?”
“…Nya.”
“What?”
“I’m not a monster, you jerk!”
THUNK!
Using the bounce in her body, Marianne launched a headbutt right into the man’s jaw. He went down like a sack of bricks.
One clean hit. Perfect.
“Well, guess you didn’t need my help after all.”
“Master!”
Kalz had rushed over when he saw her get grabbed. He kicked the fallen man out of the way and gently lifted Marianne into his arms.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.”
“Good. You did great. Now go hide somewhere safe—don’t let them see you again.”
“Is Bell back yet?”
“…He’ll be here soon. Don’t worry.”
Kalz gave her a reassuring pat before setting her down. Then he moved off, checking to see if any other staff were in danger.
“Ha ha! I’m fine, Master! Over here! What’re you looking around for? The potion’s lasting longer than I thought—ha ha!”
“Oh my goodness, Master! I almost hit you with my special tear gas spray!”
“As you ordered, I’ve tied up the intruders and moved them to the far side of the garden. I’ll keep patrolling—just in case any are still lurking.”
To Kalz’s relief, the castle staff were even more capable and fearless than he’d hoped.
“AAAH! A real monster!”
“Over here! I found it! Everyone, this way!”
“Causing a scene in someone else’s home… Looks like someone needs a bit more schooling.”
Whenever Kalz encountered intruders still on their feet, he didn’t hesitate to deliver justice himself. He didn’t kill anyone—though he did use his sword.
“Master!”
“Did you find him?”
“Yes, in the garden.”
“Take me.”
Of course, the one Kalz had been searching for was Shark—the mastermind behind it all. Kalz had been waiting patiently, letting Shark’s personal guard thin out through the chaos. But at some point, the man had simply disappeared. When had he slipped out into the garden?
“There.”
Kalz’s eyes locked onto him immediately. Shark was standing with another man in a black cloak, but Kalz didn’t care. He drew his sword mid-run.
“My lord, get back!”
The cloaked man stepped forward to block Kalz’s path, but he was no match for the Beast.
“Move.”
“Urgh!”
With one powerful swing, Kalz knocked the man’s sword clean from his hands. He followed up with a brutal kick to the chest, sending the man flying. The guard didn’t get back up.
Kalz’s sword pressed against Shark’s throat.
“From the start, you’ve had no manners. Is this how your kind shows respect?”
“Coming from the monster who stomped into someone else’s castle with muddy boots? Ironic. So? Where’s Bell?”
“Ah, so that’s what all this fury is about. I heard the so-called ‘monster of the castle’ didn’t feel emotions like that… Guess that intel was off.”
“I asked you a question. Where is he?”
Kalz’s grip tightened. A thin line of blood slid down Shark’s neck.
“Speak. If you want to live, tell me where you’ve locked Bell.”
“You don’t want to do this.”
“I’ll count to three. One.”
“You think I came all this way without a plan?”
“Two.”
“If I die, that man dies too.”
“…What are you talking about?”
A wicked smile curled on Shark’s lips.
“You don’t believe me? I only need to give the signal, and one of my men will kill him. Right now.”
“If you’re going to lie, try harder. How the hell would you signal anyone from deep in these mountains?”
“Why not? He’s right over there.”
Kalz instinctively turned to look where Shark pointed—and sure enough, standing between the distant cypress trees was a man in the same cloak as the one he just defeated.
So… he wasn’t lying?
Kalz’s focus faltered for a split second. Shark didn’t miss the chance.
“Gh—!”
Steel pierced Kalz’s arm. His sword dropped to the ground with a dull clang.
“That’s what happens when you look away, Monster.”
With a sneer, Shark kicked him hard. It was weak—something Kalz could’ve easily dodged or blocked—but he stood still.
Shark’s smile widened.
“Let’s see how much punishment that ‘monster body’ of yours can really take.”
Thud. Thump. Thump. Crack!
Kalz didn’t resist. He could’ve ended this in a heartbeat. But if he did—if he crushed Shark here and now—there’d be no guarantee Bell would survive. Even if he killed Shark a hundred times, what good would it do if Bell got hurt because of it?
So he endured.
Blow after blow rained down. Blood began to streak his body, bruises blooming like ink beneath his skin. Finally, when blood spilled from his lips, Shark stopped.
“Haah… Damn, you really can take a beating.”
No. You’re just weak.
Kalz swallowed the bitter retort. He didn’t have the strength to say it aloud. Blood from his wounded arm had already soaked the garden soil. If he weren’t who he was—if he didn’t have this body—he’d have passed out long ago.
“No reaction? Tch. Boring.”
“They say monsters can’t die. Is that true?”
“Beats me. Try it and find out.”
“Not only tough—got a sharp tongue too, huh?”
Shark raised his sword, now soaked in Kalz’s blood.
“Let’s see how long you can hold out before you scream.”
SHLICK!
The sound of metal sliding into flesh tore through the quiet night.
This one… this was bad. The pain was sharp, deep. And the bleeding—if it continued, it’d be dangerous. Even in the darkness, his vision was starting to blur.
Maybe this time… he really would die.
Shark had called it bluffing—but it hadn’t been entirely for show.
Death… was something Kalz had always wished for.
