I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 71 – Crimson Flame (2)

The fox was dragged along, powerless.

Her body felt strange.

Her head was spinning, her legs wobbled, and she could hardly focus her vision.

It seemed they had injected her with a sedative.

A common method used to transport unruly slaves.

'Damn it.'

Even a bear beastfolk would be knocked out with a single dose of that drug.

It was no wonder her consciousness was unstable.

Irene forced her eyes to stay open, fighting to stay awake.

Her blurry vision revealed a new scene.

"…"

What she saw were rows of iron cages.

The prison where the slaves were held.

Even though they were still inside the ship, the place was massive.

It looked like an entire deck was being used for it, with hundreds of slaves packed into the cramped cages.

Irene’s mind raced.

'There’s no time.'

She couldn’t afford to delay.

If the ship set sail, everything would be irreversible.

No one would ever be able to find her.

'Maybe… maybe the ship has already set sail.'

That was the worst-case scenario.

She had no idea how much time had passed since she lost consciousness, but she prayed it hadn’t been long.

If there was ever a chance to escape, it was now.

Fortunately, the hound was away.

'I can do this.'

The guards flanking her seemed complacent.

They were relying on the effects of the sedative.

Even if she were caught trying to escape, the businessman’s orders meant they couldn’t kill her.

At most, they’d beat her without leaving visible marks.

With that kind of risk, it was a gamble worth taking.

"Hoo…"

She exhaled slowly.

She sharpened her focus.

Her head throbbed, and her vision was still blurry, but she had to push through.

Irene suddenly shoved one of the guards beside her.

Thud!

"Huh…?!"

Crash!

One guard went down, and the other drew his sword and charged at her.

She knew it was just for intimidation.

So she didn’t back down.

She rushed in, exploiting his hesitation.

The guard’s eyes widened in surprise.

'Got you.'

A sword that isn’t drawn is no more than a pair of shackles binding the hand.

He wouldn’t dare disobey orders.

"Damn it…!"

The guard hesitated and released his grip on the sword.

He tried to throw a punch, but he was no match for the fox who had already closed the distance.

A swift kick slammed into his solar plexus.

"Ugh!"

With a grunt, the guard staggered and collapsed.

A clean hit.

Without wasting any time, Irene took off running.

In her hand was the sword the guard had dropped.

With a few quick slashes, she cut the ropes binding her.

"Shit! The merchandise is escaping!"

"Don’t let her get away!"

The guards chased after her, their shouts ringing out sharply.

Ignoring the cries behind her, Irene sprinted with all her might.

She had to find an exit somewhere.

***

Meanwhile.

The hound in the lounge heard the news a little too late.

The fox they had captured just a few hours ago had broken free and was causing chaos.

Suppressing his rising anger, he pressed a hand to his forehead.

"These morons… You can’t even keep a weakened fox under control?"

The hound bit his lip, his frustration clear.

It didn’t make sense.

They had injected her with a sedative, so how could she be up and moving?

That drug was powerful enough to knock out even a fierce bear beastfolk.

Under normal circumstances, any beastfolk should be unconscious for at least half a day.

'Was it my overconfidence that led to this?'

He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Letting out a sigh, he suddenly heard a voice from across the room.

It was his "guest," whom he had been scheduled to meet today.

"Is something troubling you?"

"Mind your own business."

"You don’t look too pleased."

"It’s our business. Even if we’re allies, you should know when to mind your own."

"I see. If I’ve caused offense, I apologize."

The guest bowed politely.

He was a young man, neatly dressed in a suit, with well-kept green hair and stylish glasses.

His clean, professional appearance stood out.

"However, I believe this does concern me."

"What?"

"We are allies, after all. And if I’m not mistaken, most of the cargo on this ship was ordered by my master."

"So what?"

"So if there’s trouble on this ship, I have every right to involve myself."

"…"

He was polite, but his tone left no room for argument.

The hound, annoyed, glared at the guest for a moment before finally standing up.

He needed to capture the runaway fox.

"I’m stepping out for a bit."

"To deal with the issue you just mentioned?"

"And what if I am?"

"I’ll come with you. If there’s anything I can assist with, I’d like to help."

"I told you to mind your own business… Hah, fine. Do as you want."

"Thank you."

The two of them left the lounge, walking slowly down the corridor.

As they moved at a leisurely pace, the guest asked curiously,

"Aren’t you a bit too relaxed? This seems like a rather urgent matter."

"It’s fine."

The hound responded, sounding bored.

"She’s not going anywhere."

"True, I suppose that’s the case."

"The underlings will corner her, and we’ll step in to beat her down and capture her. Simple."

"Are you sure it’s okay to rough her up? I heard she’s a high-value product."

"Who cares? If I get scolded, so what? As long as I don’t kill her, it’ll be fine."

"I see. I’ll defer to you."

They exchanged casual conversation as they walked.

Their footsteps echoed through the dim corridor.

***

Irene kept running.

She dashed across wide spaces, sprinted through long corridors, and leaped over any stairs she came across.

She didn’t look back.

All she could do was keep running with everything she had.

Her blurry vision and the sedative coursing through her system made it feel like she would collapse any second, but she forced her legs to keep moving.

If she stumbled even once, it would all be over.

"Hah… Hah…!"

Her breaths came out ragged.

Moving her body while drugged required immense mental strength.

Irene clung to her fleeting consciousness.

"There she is!"

"Don’t let her escape!"

It wasn’t just running.

She had to deal with guards constantly blocking her path.

Every time her way was cut off, she had to change direction or unsheathe her sword to cut down the ones standing in her way.

It was a fierce, desperate dash for freedom.

"Damn it…!"

The ship was massive, as if several passenger ships had been fused together.

Thanks to the vast space, she could keep switching directions, but she couldn’t always avoid direct confrontations.

Clashes were inevitable.

"Of all days, why did this have to happen when we’re short-staffed?"

"Quit whining and get after her!"

"She’s headed for the stairs! Block the other side!"

Two guards appeared ahead of her.

The stairs on the opposite side were already blocked.

This time, she would have to break through.

Irene calmly raised her sword.

She steadied her stance.

She couldn’t afford to lose speed.

Instead of a heavy strike, she prepared a series of light, rapid slashes.

Following the swift movement of her blade, a flash of steel streaked through the air.

Clang!

The first strike was a light clash.

Without panicking, Irene deflected the guard’s sword and spun around, slashing at him in one fluid motion.

She felt a sharp sensation as her blade cut into flesh.

Squelch!

It was a shallow wound, but there was no need to kill.

For Irene, it wasn’t about "winning"—it was about "escaping."

"Damn it…!"

The fox’s movements were too fast for the guards to track.

By the time they reacted, her blade was already lodged in one of their arms.

Without hesitation, she twisted the sword and stabbed.

Thud!

"Aaaargh!!"

The guard screamed as the sword pierced his arm.

It was embedded deep.

Without wasting time, Irene released the hilt and grabbed the sword the guard had dropped.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Her hands were now slick with blood.

"Hah… Ugh…!"

The chase had already lasted more than thirty minutes.

Her exhausted body was on the verge of collapse, and her stamina was running out faster than expected.

The only fortunate thing was that she was close to the exit.

If she remembered correctly.

The ship’s exit was located on the top deck.

Her memory was vague, but she recalled seeing an open space leading outside. If she crossed the top deck, she would definitely find it.

Inside the ship, it was impossible to see what was happening outside.

For such a large space, there wasn’t a single window.

"Hah…!"

Irene shook off her thoughts and kept running.

She prayed the ship hadn’t set sail yet.

She hoped it was still anchored at the dock.

Even if it had set sail, it wouldn’t matter.

As long as the shore was within swimming distance, she could manage.

After a series of fierce battles, Irene finally reached the exit.

It was more of a rooftop than a proper exit, but it didn’t matter—as long as she could escape.

Irene cut down the last guard blocking her path.

Then she burst outside.

But—

"Oh~ I’ve been waiting for you."

"At last, you’ve arrived."

As soon as she stepped outside, what greeted her were two figures.

One was the hound in his gray robe.

The other was a mysterious young man dressed in a suit.

Irene was forced to stop in her tracks.

"…"

"Why the long face? Were you really expecting to get away?"

The hound’s mocking voice echoed in her ears.

His sneering lips curled as he taunted her.

"I told you there was no way out."

"…"

Whoosh.

The breeze blew through her crimson hair.

Her eyes wavered.

But it wasn’t the two men in front of her that she was looking at.

It was the vast blue background behind them.

Irene let out a faint sigh.

"Ah…"

Waves surrounded her on all sides.

Her gaze darted around, searching for any sign of land, but there was none.

The truth settled in.

Swaaaaaa.

The ship was floating in the middle of the ocean.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]