"Elias… you say? Is he the one in charge of those captured outside?" Teresa asked with a grimace.
Marilyn lowered her gaze.
"…Yes. He is also in charge of all seized items and was personally selected by Glassy. It will not be easy to kill him. But it would be a significant step forward for our plan."
Teresa's grip tightened around her sword. It had not even been five minutes since she woke, yet she was already tense.
'So this Elias is the one who captured Oliver… and the one holding his sword? Then I will kill him.'
The young girl rose from the bed and smiled faintly, tilting her head.
"Can you tell me where to find him?"
Marilyn was about to take a sip of water when she abruptly coughed it out in shock.
"Wait, what!? You are going after him!? You cannot face him alone. He is a Rookie!"
Teresa replied without hesitation:
"I am going to hunt him down alone."
Kaden stood in a corner of the room, observing in silence without intervening, idly running his fingers along his sword as if it were something familiar.
He then pulled out a red ticket from his pocket and studied it briefly before glancing back at Teresa, who was already making her way toward the door.
"I will come with you. Let us kill him together," Kaden said, stepping closer.
Teresa halted and turned to meet his gaze.
"No. I will handle it alone. You can do something else."
The red-haired boy scratched the back of his head, his expression relaxed.
"What would that be?"
"Release all the fugitives being held and eliminate the guards stationed there. We will recruit those fugitives first. Make sure it is done discreetly," Teresa replied.
Kaden's expression darkened as he looked into her eyes.
"You may have saved my life, but do not speak to me as though you can give me orders. It irritates me."
Teresa let out a soft chuckle.
"That was not an order. It was a request. You are free to refuse. I have better things to do than argue with you."
The boy from House Devon walked past her without another word, opening the door and stepping outside.
"I will find my own way."
Marilyn exhaled sharply. Her face became drawn with fatigue.
'Oh, gods… will this plan even work? Those two already seem at odds with each other.'
***
After wandering through the castle for nearly an hour with no reliable way to identify Elias, relying only on the vague description Marilyn had provided, Teresa eventually came across Effie.
The black dragon was playing freely within the castle grounds, a small wolf-like creature perched on its back, while people instinctively steered clear of its path.
Teresa immediately recognized the wolf-like creature. She vividly recalled Oliver's reaction when the young guard had mentioned it.
'Could that be Oliver's beast? I found it first. This will definitely make him smile, and after I kill Elias and retrieve whatever he took from Oliver, I will earn even more points.'
The young girl approached Effie.
The moment the black dragon saw her, it ceased its play and rushed over, lowering itself before her with a soft whine.
She gently patted its head.
The surrounding onlookers were stunned, exchanging glances and murmuring among themselves.
Two young men, carrying chopped wood as they passed by, began whispering:
"Does she own that beast?"
"Yeah, I think so. It looks stronger than any beast I have seen, though it has not fully matured."
"If the Four Dogs find out, they will take it from her by force, and she—"
"Shut up, idiot. Do not mention them so openly. Do you want to die?"
Teresa caught fragments of their conversation. Her gaze lingered on them briefly before returning to Effie, then shifting to the wolf-like creature beside it.
The smaller beast approached her cautiously, sniffing, and soon began wagging its tail as if recognizing the lingering scent of its master on her.
"Oh, I see. I was with your master, after all." She bent down and patted its head. "Stay with Effie for now. I will bring you back to him later."
The young girl smiled.
"Effie, make sure to protect it no matter what. Understood?"
Effie nodded vigorously and used one of its wings to draw the smaller beast closer in a protective gesture.
Teresa turned and walked away, quietly following the two men carrying wood, hoping they might unknowingly lead her to Elias.
Before long, however, she encountered him directly.
Elias approached from the opposite direction, dragging a severely injured boy, roughly her age, toward the center of the castle. He passed her without acknowledgment.
He then planted a foot on the boy and frowned, his presence alone commanding the attention of everyone nearby. Silence fell without a word, and people instinctively stepped back, giving him space.
"Today is a fortunate day. I have just caught a thief attempting to steal from our source. However, I am feeling generous. He begged for his life, so I will offer him a chance. Unfortunately, he cannot fight in this state. So, anyone who wishes to save him may challenge me to a duel. It has been a while since we have had one."
No one spoke. As expected, they averted their gazes, unwilling to intervene.
Teresa observed them all, her grip tightening around her sword as a faint smile formed.
'I finally found you. And I am even being given a public opportunity to kill you? Oliver will be pleased. Hmm… I might be thinking about him too much… it does not matter. I want to kill this man now.'
She stepped forward slowly.
Before she could speak, Elias's eyes shifted toward Effie, greed flashing within them.
"Oh? Who owns that beast?"
Teresa's smile widened as she raised her hand.
"I do, sir."
Elias turned his attention fully toward her and gave a small nod.
"Hand it over. Let it serve me instead. You must be new here. I am Elias, and also—"
Teresa cut him off, drawing her blade.
"I challenge you. If you win, the beast is yours. If I win, your life belongs to me, along with everything in your possession, including that boy beneath your foot."
Elias froze momentarily, caught off guard. He had not expected anyone to actually accept his offer.
The crowd reacted in a similar manner. Some looked at her with pity, assuming she was ignorant of Elias's reputation, while others regarded her with disdain for her perceived arrogance.
The guards nearby laughed quietly, convinced she was foolish for daring to challenge him.
Irritated by her boldness, Elias accepted the duel.