Chapter 82 The True Terror (1)

It has been six days since we first arrived at the Blackburn House, and while the hosts were nothing but welcoming, I couldn’t help but feel that they were purposely hiding Ysabelle from me. Whether it was her own decision or the family’s, I didn’t know. However, I wasn’t going to simply wait around to find out.

Especially since we’ve heard the stories about the Warclaw Tribe’s Alpha. From the stories I’d gathered through eavesdropping, the Warclaw’s Alpha was a famous figure and a man who could provide Ysabelle with everything I could and more. Needless to say, just him taking an interest in Ysabelle was enough to draw my animosity.

Now, I knew that it was unreasonable to expect Ysabelle not to have any love interests. After all, we had been separated for fifteen years, and I’d completely forgotten about her until recently.

And yet, emotionally, I couldn’t accept that a girl that shared her soul with me would be taken by another man. Call me immature, but I wanted to at least meet Ysabelle face-to-face first to plead my case.

I wanted to cultivate our lost feelings, spend time with her, and confirm both of our emotions.

And after all that, if she still decides to go with another man… I could only respect her choice.

But! I won’t let it come to that. I will ensure that Ysabelle realises that I could do everything the Warclaw Alpha could and better! I will fight till the very last moment, not giving her an excuse to completely write me off. But first… I had to find the girl.

My journey first began after realising that just like how Lilith was able to pinpoint my coordinates by locating her soul, I could use Ysabelle’s soul inside me to act as a compass to find her. It took some getting used to, but eventually, I managed to estimate the rough distance that the girl had disappeared.

Following that, I found an excuse to leave the Blackburn House by saying I wished to help in the extermination of the Outer Demons. And while Julien, Ysabelle’s personal servant, was reluctant, I convinced him through pure brute force.

Though there was one hiccup. My two precious lovers were adamant about following me, even though it had nothing to do with them. Apparently, they were afraid of Ysabelle stealing me away from them, which sounded ludicrous at first blush. They were, after all, the women I was closest to. Even if Ysabelle came into my life, I wouldn’t just abandon them.

Still, I couldn’t say no to those stunningly gorgeous ladies, especially when they looked at me with pure, beady eyes.

And so, our expedition to Ysabelle began without much hindrance. I played with the idea of using the Blackburn House’s Warp Gates, but it just seemed to be too much work. And there was no telling if Julien would actually teleport me to Ysabelle’s location.

Fortunately, I happened to be an expert in space magic. Gathering my group together, I teleported all of us in the rough direction where Ysabelle was located, moving one or two kilometres at a time.

Initially, my attraction to Ysabelle’s soul was exceedingly faint, showing how great the distance was between us. But as we blinked past the great canyons that surrounded the Blackburn House, I could feel a mysterious force calling me northeast. It was like a magnetic pull, and it only got stronger the closer I got.

Now, I had no doubt that I had found my target.

Yet, as we inched kilometre by kilometre… A different feeling emerged from the depths of my soul. It was foreign and all too different from what I usually felt. The aching pain of grief as if I had lost someone… Remorse that I could have done better… And annoyance at an enemy I couldn’t see.

Those weren’t my emotions… I could…

I could feel another person’s emotions.

And there was no debate on who that person was.

Once I reached within ten kilometres, I could feel Ysabelle’s soul calling out to me. Like a siren that beckons sailors to its loft, Ysabelle’s intense emotions were being transmitted to my subconscious mind. I didn’t know what was happening, but one thing was certain.

Ysabelle needed help, and she needed it urgently.

I teleported straight away without even knowing it, forgetting to bring my companions with me. My mind was occupied with saving Ysabelle, fearing that someone had brought her harm. And true to my guess…

The moment I teleported to my destination, the first thing that caught my eye was an enchanting young woman who stood about 1.85 metres tall. She was quite likely the tallest woman I’d met personally, but that didn’t mean I was put off by it. In fact, I was rather attracted to the womanly curves that came with her long legs and rangy build.

Her short black hair reached the base of her shoulders and didn’t go an inch further. It was something different than what I was used to, with Irina and Lilith having long hair, yet it provided a refreshing allure that I couldn’t take my eyes away from. Her agate eyes shone brilliantly with a majesty reserved only for a warrior queen, and her steadfast nature really spoke for itself with her choice of battle equipment.

And the most eye-catching feature of all… The woman had a devilish figure that would make Wonder Woman grimace with envy. Logically speaking, the taller a person went, the less likely they were to have a proportional figure. Yet, that Amazonian bombshell broke that same rule.

Her long legs, decanter waist, thick hips and ample bosom were the stuff of fantasy. Not a single human woman on the planet could look as sexy as her, not even if they tried with surgery.

But it didn’t matter if she was the sexiest woman on the planet or the ugliest grinch humanity could give birth to. My soul was drawn to her like a moth to fire. I didn’t need anyone to confirm it for me.

The woman down there was Ysabelle, no question about it.

And she needed my help.

A gaudy man attempted to grab hold of her hand as much as she rejected his advances. Almost instantly, my overprotective nature erupted into being. I didn’t even know the guy, but I cast my most powerful Spatial spell and sent the man flying into another dimension. I didn’t even bother to control my strength and didn’t care if he lived or died.

The only thing I wanted to do was to protect Ysabelle from the bastard that dared to make her feel that way.

I could see Ysabelle’s face turn from annoyance to outright shock. Befuddled by what had happened, the woman looked around nervously, thinking that an enemy was near.

Goodness, how adorable… Why are all of my lovers this cute?

No, no. I should focus. They say that first impressions matter, so I should make sure that Ysabelle sees me as a reliable person. I puffed out my chest and did a cursory check on my appearance. While I didn’t have a mirror, I could dust off some dirt from my suit and tidy my hair a little.

Once I was done, I released my suspended body and descended down upon the flabbergasted girl. She locked her eyes on my appearance, and at that moment, I saw recognition flash by her pupils.

That was all the confirmation I needed that Ysabelle knew who I was. And judging by the fact that there was no repulsion and the fact that she hadn’t screamed out yet… I could guess that she didn’t hate me.

If that’s the case, why didn’t she meet me sooner? Was she really just that busy? Am I overthinking it and acting like a douche for barging on her mission unannounced?

Numerous questions flowed into my mind, but I completely suppressed them. I wasn’t going to let some last-minute thoughts ruin my reunion with Ysabelle.

I took one deep breath in and called out: “Ysabelle…”

The black-haired beauty was startled by my sudden voice. Her tough exterior melted away, and her face started to turn crimson. I could hear her heart skip a beat as she unconsciously fidgeted in place.

Wait, did I intimidate her? Or was she behaving this way because she was shy? I really could tell. And as I was about to dig deep into her soul to figure out her emotions, the girl’s sheepish voice caught my ear.

“Jin…”

Like a refreshing Summer breeze from the ocean, Ysabelle’s soft voice blasted my senses away. Almost instantly, I could feel myself drawing closer to the young black-haired beauty, with the impulse to pull her into my embrace.

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt this way. When I met Irina and Lilith for the first time, my emotions were in disarray, and my hormones took over. No, to be more exact, my soul did the decision-making.

“Jin, what are you doing here?”

“… You weren’t coming to see me, so I came to see you.”

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

“But I’m here anyway.”

True to my expectations, Ysabelle was avoiding me. Although I didn’t know why I could tell from her reactions, it wasn’t due to an absurd hatred for me. Her fidgeting body betrayed the tough pretence she was trying to portray, making it quite adorable to watch. But she couldn’t back down now. Still trying her best to keep up the facade, Ysabelle turned her back to me and said:

“Coming here was a mistake, Jin. Please return to the villa.”

“… Is there something bothering you? If there is, you can tell me. I’ll do my best to help you.”

“No, there’s nothing wrong. I’m actually quite busy right now, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Ysabelle!”

I didn’t travel all the way here just to be turned back with the same excuse. Teleporting in front of the girl, I gently cupped her wrists to hold her in place. If Ysabelle was appalled by my actions, I would have immediately let go. After all, I didn’t want to be a creep who detained women against their will.

However, there were no signs of rejection on Ysabelle’s face, completely unlike the time the gaudy man attempted to touch her. Instead, I could feel her pulse beating faster, and her heart was almost leaping out from her chest. If she wanted to, she could pull her hand away and break free from my weak grip, but she simply stayed in place.

“Can’t you tell me what’s going on?”

“… It’s none of your business.”

“No, it is… Didn’t I promise you that I’ll be your knight in shining armour? To run to you whenever you need me?”

“… You remembered?!”

Ysabelle’s face clearly wavered at my statement. Regrettably, I had only recalled that promise due to my recent dream. Nevertheless, now that it is ingrained in my memory, I’ll commit to never forgetting it. And Ysabelle could feel the weight of my emotions clearly.

The woman bit the bottom of her lip, clearly unaware that she was wearing her heart on her sleeve. Like a cornered chicken, Ysabelle couldn’t keep her eyes on me. She desperately sought help from elsewhere, knowing that she could not hold back her secret anymore.

Perhaps… If I just gave her one more push, it would be enough for her to spill the beans.

Alas, that scenario wouldn’t come to pass.

“Mistress Ysabelle! It’s an emergency! There’s another SOS signal fifteen kilometres west of your location! I’m sending the coordinates now!”

“A-Ah?! I-I understand! I’ll be right there!”

Ysabelle’s watch started to beep, and a woman operator’s voice sounded out. Twisting her wrist, Ysabelle broke free from my gentle grip with a somewhat regrettable expression lingering in her agate eyes. Still, the Blackburn House’s Princess immediately returned to her work mode and tapped on her watch to release a holographic image of a map and the SOS beacon.

“Jin, please return to the villa. We’ll talk once I get back.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Jin! This isn’t a game! It’s going to be dangerous!”

“All the more reason I should follow.”

I wasn’t going to wait around while Ysabelle dived into danger headfirst. From my perspective, the quicker we solved her predicament, the faster we could get out of this emotional deadlock we were stuck in.

“Ysabelle, you may not know it, but I’m decently strong. I am more than capable of protecting you now. So, you can trust me with your back. I swear that I won’t be a liability.”

“B-But…”

“Please?”

“… Suit yourself.”

Luckily, my pleas didn’t go unheard. Sighing while mentally grabbing her head, Ysabelle turned her back around and moved straight for the SOS signal.

Alright… Let’s get this over with, shall we?