IATAOTHKG | CHAPTER 56

[CHAPTER 56]

The one in front of her was none other than Caliph.

Instinctively bending one knee to absorb the weight and momentum of the fall, he staggered heavily the moment he caught Mayna.

Yet, with years of experience and a trained body, he absorbed the impact of the fall and protected Mayna.

“…….”

Mayna was too shocked to speak.

Having lost her glasses, distant objects were slightly blurry, but his face right in front of her was clear.

Caliph held Mayna in his arms, checking her condition.

The tension etched into his sharp gaze eased slightly the moment he confirmed she was not seriously hurt.

‘How did he get here…?’

Mayna parted her lips as if she had lost her voice.

Caliph, visibly exhausted, wore a silver tunic over his black Guild 928 combat uniform.

It was an outfit suited for an emergency on the scale of wartime.

He had likely been to the epicenter of this crisis at the call of the Drain Agency.

“Doesn’t look like you’re hurt anywhere.”

Caliph spoke in a concise tone, half-diagnosis, half-question, while inspecting Mayna again.

“Y-Yes.”

Mayna answered in a trembling voice.

Caliph nodded once and lifted Mayna into his arms.

Mayna wrapped her arms around Caliph’s neck.

A delayed relief washed over her, her heart pounding.

Her eyes grew hot as tension melted away, yet the warmth of his body brought an odd comfort.

“Sit here for a moment.”

After quickly setting Mayna down in a relatively safe spot, Caliph turned and drew his longsword from his waist sheath.

“Ugh! Damn it!”

At that moment, Adonis, pushed by the monster’s immense strength, dropped his sword and fell.

The monster, enraged further by its prey’s provocation, opened its massive jaw and lunged at Adonis.

Transparent venom dripped from its fangs.

The ground beneath them blackened as it burned.

‘Oh no.’

Mayna’s face turned pale.

‘Those teeth could pierce my body…’

The horrific scene unfolded like a panorama.

The monster, its venom at peak potency, smacked its lips as it salivated.

Its eyes gleamed like a starving beast, and the moment it lunged at Adonis…

Incredibly fast, Caliph leapt onto a nearby rooftop and into the air.

Moonlight reflected off his blade.

The next moment, the sharp tip struck precisely at the monster’s vital point.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

The monster screamed and twisted its massive body.

Caliph, having helped Adonis up, readied himself for the next attack.

Panicked pedestrians stopped in their tracks one by one.

Mayna, catching her breath while sitting, stood as if in a trance.

“Ah…!”

Terrible pain ran through her body, but she could not remain seated and just watch.

From a distance, Caliph was a mess of sweat and dirt.

His stance against the monster was unshaken, yet Mayna could tell…

‘He must have almost exhausted his mana.’

This was something only Mayna could perceive.

Even from his expression and the aura he exuded, she could read his condition.

‘What should I do…’

Horrific thoughts dominated her mind.

What if Caliph could no longer fight?

What if the monster’s massive fangs, flowing with deadly venom, tore him apart…?

As if fanning the flames of her fear, the monster flexed hundreds of legs, sharpening its claws.

The moment it charged at Caliph, he quickly lowered his body and rolled to the side.

Then he twisted his blade and stabbed deep into its neck.

Finally, the mortally wounded monster let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.

Bang!

The ground shook as if there had been an earthquake.

“Grrrrrgh…!”

The monster, belly exposed, thrashed its legs, smashing surrounding streetlights, benches, abandoned carriages, and vehicles.

“Kyaaaak!”

People screamed and fled.

Caliph, kneeling to catch his breath, delivered a final blow to the monster’s head.

Its life was finally extinguished.

The sharp, sour smell of venom filled the air.

Though people cheered through tear-streaked faces, Caliph’s gaze was fixed solely on Mayna.

He approached with Adonis.

Mayna, on the verge of tears, spoke to Adonis.

“Sir Hiaron, are you okay?”

“Deputy.”

Instead of answering, Adonis pulled Mayna into a tight embrace.

Momentarily startled, Mayna returned the hug, arms spread wide.

They had worked together at Renox Castle for about five years.

Though they had spent countless seasons together, this was their first embrace.

“Time for the reunion to end.”

Caliph’s usual cynical tone forced them apart.

“More of them are coming soon.”

At his words, Mayna and Adonis both paled.

Mayna felt her breath quicken and fingertips tremble.

Adonis fiddled with the dagger he had tucked into his shirt pocket.

“I’ve used up all my mana, so I can’t open a portal.”

Caliph reported his condition matter-of-factly.

Adonis looked worried, but Mayna nodded.

‘Of course.’

Caliph’s blue eyes had lost their vitality, clouded by mana depletion.

“So, Adonis.”

Caliph brushed his sweat-soaked hair back and called him.

“Yes, Sir Renox.”

“Take Mayna to the Drain Train Station.”

“…….”

Biting his lip, Adonis nodded.

After a moment’s thought, Caliph took something from a pocket of his combat uniform.

A silver revolver.

“You know how to shoot, right?”

“I-I…”

It was the era when firearms were just being invented and distributed.

Even a highly skilled secretary like Adonis rarely got to handle a gun.

“I taught you before.”

“Only once.”

‘And we were both completely drunk!’ Mayna thought Adonis wanted to add, but he fell silent under Caliph’s piercing gaze.

It was a seasoned secretary’s instinct: he might die by this terrible superior before the monster did.

“Understood.”

Adonis accepted the gun with a determined expression.

Adding a bit of humor, Caliph, expressionless but chuckling quietly, quickly instructed him on how to load it.

“There are only eight bullets left. Shoot straight.”

“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t shoot you.”

“Want to die?”

“Of course not.”

Adonis suddenly became serious and saluted Caliph respectfully.

He then held Mayna’s arm to help her.

“Let’s go, Deputy.”

“What about Sir Renox?”

Mayna asked Caliph in a trembling voice.

The ground shook once more.

It meant the monsters were approaching.

Mayna’s eyes flitted with unease.

‘I didn’t even need to ask. I already knew.’

After sending them to safety, Caliph intended to stay and face the monsters.

Protecting civilians was the mission and duty of a paladin.

She also knew she must not act like a child and insist on going.

‘I can’t act like a child.’

Silently convincing herself, Mayna bit her lip in painful resolve.

Caliph scanned her body from head to toe in silence.

The torn dress.

Her exposed thighs and calves.

Scratches all over her body.

Finally, he looked at her face deeply, and without hesitation, removed his tunic and combat uniform.

Now in a white shirt, he began unbuttoning it.

Mayna’s lips trembled at the sight of his battle-scarred collarbone, strong chest, and well-defined abdomen.

It was as if his body had been trained for swordsmanship, covered with cuts and gashes like straw dolls used in practice.

“Sir Renox……”

Mayna whispered, flustered.

Caliph tossed the large white shirt to her.

“Cover yourself.”

That was the last thing.

He ran toward the noise at incredible speed, shrinking from view.

Mayna clutched his blood- and sweat-soaked shirt tightly.