‘If I can hear his inner thoughts, I should be able to learn everything about the person behind him.’

But to hear his inner thoughts, she needed to weaken his mental strength. Latil sat on the Fox Mask, grasping the mask with one hand.

But just as she was about to remove the mask, a group of people wielding terrifying weapons began to surround her.

‘What’s this about?’

Latil sat on the Fox Mask, looking around. At a glance, there were about ten of them. They were all carrying large weapons like swords, hammers, and spears.

‘This is troublesome.’

Seeing this, Latil sighed inwardly.

‘If I get hurt, it will be difficult to sneak out of the palace next time.’

Normally, she would worry about dying here, but she was certain that she would be safe from these people, so she didn’t think that far.

‘Whoa.’

Then, the man with the sword in front swung it towards Latil without asking who she was or why she followed them or anything.

‘Did they command to kill the pursuer indiscriminately?’

Latil dodged the sword, bent her waist and clenched her fist to hit the opponent’s side. Someone swung a heavy hammer skillfully in that short moment, but Latil moved her body to avoid it.

And then, taking advantage of the attacker’s weak defense from swinging the heavy hammer, she rushed in and hit the jaw with her elbow.

She attacked thoroughly focusing on vital points. If it were a usual knight vs. knight duel, it would have been considered cowardly, but now it was one against many.

Latil thought it wasn’t cowardly to use any means necessary in this situation, so she tried to capture the opponent using cunning tactics.

‘They must be the subordinates of the Fox Mask. They must have been watching the situation and came out.’

Latil seized an opportunity and pulled out her weapon, slashing the back of a man swinging a sword. Neither too deep nor too shallow.

With that attack, the attacker swinging the sword fell down as if he had no momentum. But the moment the attacked man staggered and fell down.

“!”

Latil was surprised and opened her eyes wide. When Attacker1 fell, she saw the Fox Mask knocking out Attacker2, who had been hidden behind him.

‘Why did he?’

It was absurd to the point of forgetting how urgent the situation was to see the Fox Mask, who had fled after almost having his mask removed by Latil, attacking Attacker2, who she had guessed would be on the same side as him.

‘Weren’t they on the same side? Isn’t he a subordinate of the Fox?’

He didn’t seem to be a subordinate of the Fox Mask, but she couldn’t tell how things were going. From the Fox Mask’s quick suppression of the attackers.

‘What’s this? Do I have to team up with that guy?’

Latil grumbled as she avoided a blow to the leg from the Fox Mask and knocked out an opponent swinging a sword at her with the hilt of her sword.

‘Certain. So, they didn’t attack the Fox Mask earlier because they thought he was unconscious.’

When the attackers began to attack the Fox Mask as well, Latil quickly grasped the situation, although roughly.

Unexpectedly, as the fox mask became the enemy of the attackers, there was a brief increase in chaos, but Latil and the fox mask eventually succeeded in nearly knocking out all of the attackers.

‘The enemy’s enemy may become an ally for a while, but just because they’re the enemy’s enemy doesn’t mean they’re entirely on my side.’

As the attackers fell unconscious, Latil quickly spun her weapon in her hand, once again wary of the fox mask. But contrary to her expectations, the fox mask did not charge at her.

‘What is he doing…?’

Rather, the fox mask took out a ribbon from his pocket, and tied up each of the unconscious attackers meticulously. Almost to the level of giftwrapping.

‘Is this fox different from the one the attackers who ambushed the chancellor talked about? Is he not related to the Tlaloc?’

Seeing this, Latil, in confusion, called out to the fox mask.

“Hey, who are you? Who are you to tie them up?”

The fox mask did not answer. Even though she asked, she wasn’t really expecting an answer, so instead of being disappointed, Latil flipped her weapon around.

It was to cloud the fox mask’s mind, to find out what his secret plan was, who he was that he suspiciously looked at and then suddenly helped.

Even if he had taken a brief ride with him, she still had no intention of letting him off.

But before Latil could even swing her sword, in the blink of an eye, the fox mask left the unconscious attackers and came to her side.

“!”

The fox mask, which came up close, did not draw his weapon. Latil reflexively swung her reversed sword, but the mask even took that attack with his body.

‘What is this?’

Amid her confusion at his bold action, the fox mask whispered to Latil in a low voice.

“You must protect yourself.”

“!”

‘Advice? In the middle of all this? Suddenly?’

“Value yourself the most. It is not yet time for you to step forward in dangerous matters.”

“You…..”

“Lord.”

“!”