They should be here! Why isn't the male lead or the second male lead showing up?! Isn't that their job?

I watched in a panic as the men inched closer to Mary. My brain swirled, feeling like I was being sucked down into a current.

I can't let her get kidnapped right? But… She's the main character of the novel so she should be fine…

One of the rugged bandits licked his lips in anticipation.

Oh! F*ck this! There's no way she will be fine!

I tightened my cloth to my face ensuring that only my eyes could be seen. I slapped my face for courage and charged at her. I swooped her up and tossed her over my shoulder in a fluid motion.

"CHILD GRAB!"

I didn't stop running after I had successfully grabbed her from the group.

"That person just grabbed our prey!!!"

"GET THEM!"

I glanced behind me as I sprinted. My eyes shrank back in horror.

Sh*t!! They are actually chasing me!!!

I didn't know whether I should scream or cry.

I may have been able to get away from them if I had been by myself, but instead I have to carry this annoying pink haired girl!! And she was actually a lot heavier than I thought she'd be.

"Um.." Mary said softly while I was sprinting, "I don't mean to be a bother… But it looks like they are catching up to us."

I grunted in dissatisfaction as my lungs couldn't afford for me to shout at her in irritation.

No sh*t they are gaining on us! Your heavy a** is slowing me down!!!

Okay. I gotta think. If I can't run... I have to rely on my superior intellect.

My eyes caught sight of an open window on the second floor of a building. A trash can was positioned beneath it.

Perfect!

I made a beeline for it and used my momentum to jump off of the top, causing the can to crash on the ground. With my arm and legs flailing in the air, I propelled us inside the room.

However, I made one little miscalculation.

We crashed into the room and I fell onto my stomach, tossing Mary to the side. I rolled until I came to a stop by hitting a wall.

"EEK!"

I blinked away the dizziness and sat up slowly, leaving behind a dented wall from my thick forehead. The room was still spinning, but I could see a naked woman covering herself up with a blanket. The man next to her did not look pleased at all.

Mary sat up from the ground with only a few bruises. She didn't hit as hard as I had. When she noticed the scene in front of her, she covered her eyes in a panic. "Kyaa!"

I stood up and tossed her back over my shoulder, "Oh, stop crying."

Now I know why Dante is always flinging me over his shoulder to carry me. It's quite convenient.

I went to walk out of the door and stumbled slightly.

Oof. I think I hit that wall a bit harder than I thought.

The man frowned and looked at the naked woman, "Hey! I paid for an entire 30 minutes! This better not count towards my time!"

I knew I couldn't wait around for those men, so I began flinging open the doors, trying to find one with access to the roof.

Mary sobbed on my shoulder, "Wha-What was that?"

I answered apathetically, "That was what adults get up to when the lights go out."

"B-But the lights were on!"

"Okay, then they are just a bit freaky. Just pay it no attention."

As I opened doors, more and more naked women screamed. Mary reddened further in embarrassment and tried to hide herself with my makeshift cloak.

"I can't pay it no attention! I don't even know where we are!"

"This is a brothel. You know… Where men pay women to-"

"I KNOW WHAT IT IS!" She shouted in embarrassment, "Why did you bring me into an establishment of ill repute?!"

I rolled my eyes, "Don't get your panties in a tizzy. I had to get away from those men somehow."

I opened the door and ignored the shrieking girl to see access to a neighboring roof.

Score! How lucky!!

"There she is!! She's upstairs!"

Sh*t! Unlucky!!!

I jumped out of the window and onto the roof. I didn't waste any time running and jumping from roof to roof. I need to find somewhere to hide and fast!!!

As I ran, my foot caught a loose tile on the roof. Before I could react, we were sent falling down to the ground. Thinking quickly, I tossed Mary out of my arms where she landed on a covered tarp. She bounced off and landed on the ground. Luckily, she the covered tarp broke her fall so she didn't land too harshly.

I, on the other hand, landed on the ground so hard it knocked the air out of me. I rolled on the ground gasping for breath.

Mary noticed me struggling on the ground and rushed over towards me teary eyed. "A-Are you okay?"

I flipped off the sky, "F*ck you gravity!"

I forced myself to sit up, ignoring the stinging pain in my side. I heard voices behind me and I groaned, "Seriously? Can't you give me a break?"

I stood up and went to fling Mary back over my shoulder. A shooting pain shot up through my side and I fell to my knees gasping for breath. Mary rolled off my shoulders and crawled back to me with a worried expression.

"Are you okay? I think you might be hurt."

"No sh*t Sherlock." I said through gritted teeth. Every time I took a breath, I felt a sharp painful twinge in my side.

She nodded at me with determination, "Don't worry! I can run myself!"

I stood up trying not to breath too deeply. "Fine. Let's go."

I grabbed her hand and started running again. Behind my back, she looked down at my hand flushing with a small smile. As we ran, I glanced around hectically at my surroundings.

I had to find someplace to hide. I can't keep running. Each step I take makes the pain in my side worse. It's agony.

My eyes caught sight of a familiar building with a closed sign on the door, "In there!"

I flung the door open and Charles looked at us with an angry expression, "Hey you kids! Didn't you see the sign? We are closed!"

I brought my face covering down making sure Mary couldn't see. I put my fingers to my lips, "Shh!"

His eyes lit up, "Oh! It's you-"

I cut him off before he could say my name, "Back room, now!" I quickly fixed my face covering and opened the bookcase not even waiting for him to respond.

He looked at us in confusion, "What's going on?"

"No time. Just cover for me."

I pushed Mary into the basement and closed the door behind us. I pushed her down the steps until we came to the basement. She looked around nervously.

"Wh-Where am I? Are you going to kidnap me too?! What's going on?!" She started crying and I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

Looks like she was a crybaby even as a kid!!! Honestly. What do boys like about fragile girls like her?

"Shut up already." I said harshly, "I'm not interested in kidnapping you. I just saved you from those men. Shouldn't you be giving me gratitude instead of suspecting me of something so awful?"

She thought about this for a moment before nodding, "I suppose you're right. I've been so rude. Please forgive me."

She stood up and curtsied respectfully. Her entire form was perfect and graceful.

As expected from the female lead.

She smiled at me with such a dazzling face I had to look away to prevent myself from going blind. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart masked hero."

Masked hero? Well okay then.

She shuffled closer to me and I involuntarily took a step back. She looked at me with curious eyes, "Can I have a look upon my hero's face?"

I stepped back in a panic, but she just kept getting closer to me. I was fervently opposed to showing my face to her. We would eventually be attending the same school and the last thing I want is for her to think we are friends or something.

"No, no. That's unnecessary."

My back hit the wall and her small round face was close to mine with a conniving smile. "Why is that?"

"B-because I'm so ugly! Yup! Terribly ugly!" I blurted out something random in a panic.

She frowned and leaned back slightly, "Ugly?"

I nodded, "Yup. I'm so ugly that you will go blind."

Ahh. I want to cry.

She looked at me skeptically, "It can't be that bad."

I nodded quickly, "It is. I couldn't bear showing such a face to such a beautiful maiden."

She blushed from the compliment, "Oh? You think I'm a beautiful maiden?"

The air around her seemed to sparkle alluringly. I held my breath slightly at the sight.

F*ck! No Seri! Don't get drawn in!

Mary went to speak when chimes rang out. I quickly covered her mouth, "Shh." We both poked our heads towards the opening.

Three men walked inside the building with rough looks. Charles looked at them with a forced smile, "Excuse me, but my store is closed."

"Shut it old man."

Charles smile twitched. He muttered to himself, "Old man?"

One leaned forward in a threatening posture, but Charles just looked at him not at all intimidated.

The man spoke in a low voice, "Two little kids ran in here. Now, the one with pink hair belongs to us. If you don't give her back to us..."

Charles chuckled lightly, "Good sir. Are you really threatening me? Do you realize what store you just walked into?"

One of the other men grabbed his shoulder, "Hey. Don't cause trouble. Don't you realize who this is?"

The man looked confused, "Who is it?"

I was also confused while I listened in. Did Charles have some kind of reputation that I was unaware of?

The man answered him, "This is the weapon master who works under the Black Death. Do you realize what will happen to us if you do something to him?"

My face fell. Oh. So it's like that, huh? I don't know whether to be proud or to smack my head into the wall.

His face paled, "H-He is?" He looked back to Charles who continued to smile at him. He took a step back and clicked his tongue, "Well. Whatever. This isn't worth our time anyway."

Charles chuckled as they were leaving, "Such idiotic men."

After they were gone, he locked the door and pulled the curtains down. He came to the secret door and opened it.

He stepped downstairs, "Just what trouble did you get yourself into?"

I sighed and explained the situation to him. He just shook his head, "Ah, I see. Well Bertram should be back soon. I had him run a small errand for me."

I nodded at him. My side still ached from the fall.

Ugh. It hurts when I stand.

I reluctantly slid down the wall and sat on the ground. I tried to hide my painful expression by glaring. Luckily, I still had that face covering on. I wouldn't want them to see me sweating from the pain.

Mary sat down by my side with a worried expression, "Is your side still hurting?"

Curse her perceptiveness!

She looked at Charles with pleading eyes, "Old man! Please help her!"

His face twitched at this, "Why does everyone keep calling me an old man?" He sighed and looked at me, "What's wrong with your side?"

I glared at him, "Do I look like a f*cking doctor?"

"Oh.. Well no…"

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on shallow breathing, "I'm pretty sure I injured my ribs somehow."

"You did?"

"I don't know. I'm not a f*cking doctor, now am I?"

He pouted, "No need to get so snappy."

I sighed. I did feel a bit bad seeing that sad expression of his. "I'm sorry. I tend to get angry when I'm in pain."

"Ah!" He fiddled through his bag on a table and pulled out a powder. He handed it to me, "This is a pain killer. It should help until you are able to see the doctor."

I took the powder and swallowed it roughly. I made a disgusted face at the chalky taste, "Thanks."

In only a few minutes, I felt as if the pain was disappearing from my body. My eyes lit up in excitement, "Wow! This stuff really works! The pain just melted away!"

He chuckled, "Yes. It's a very strong medication. Very rare too. Also, very illegal."

My face twitched, "Did you just give me a drug?"

"Well." He said awkwardly, "I suppose you could call it that. Oh! But it's fine if you just take it once. Just don't take it anymore. It can be very addicting."

I'm going to strangle this f*cking bastard.

Before I lunged at his throat, the main door was unlocked and Bertram stepped inside. He noticed me downstairs and immediately felt tired. "Why are you dressed like that?"

I ran upstairs and Mary and Charles followed after me. I gave Bertram a wink, "Ah! You person I've never met before! I demand you escort me home!"

"Alright… Stranger…"

Bertram that wasn't convincing at all!!!

I looked at Charles, "Charles, make sure this girl gets home." His eyes lit up and I could tell what he was thinking. I frowned, "Her father is a poor Scholar. You are not allowed to take anything from him."

My eyes lit up when I recalled something. Her father was a poor scholar, but that didn't mean he wasn't brilliant. In fact, he was one of the leading researchers on herbology. He was a genius!

But being a genius didn't guarantee you riches. He had a commoner status, so he wasn't able to work at any prestigious laboratories. It was truly a shame.

I smiled malevolently, "On second thought. Do everything you can to get her father to do business with us. The master is rather interested in his research."

Charles nodded happily, "You can count on me."

We bid our farewell and Mary waved to me, "So long Masked hero! I will never forget you."

No, no. Please forget me.

After we walked away, she turned to Charles, "Just who was that?"

He smiled proudly as he watched my fading figure, "Do you know the Black Death? Well that there is his number one disciple." He chuckled wholeheartedly, "Sometimes I think she's the Black Death herself!"

Mary's eyes sparkled with admiration, "The Black Death, huh?"