Unauthorized Reincarnation
Chapter 6: Paradisus-Paradoxum (Part 2)
With energy pulsing through her veins, Lily returned to the Adventurer’s Guild—determined to recruit allies and form her first team. Or, at the very least, to be accepted into someone else’s. But once again, she was met with rejection. No offers. No invitations. Just the same cold shoulder.
Frustrated but unwilling to let despair win, she decided to lift her spirits with a stroll through the market district. Shopping, she hoped, would be a temporary balm.
But as she passed a narrow alley between two crumbling stone buildings, a sound stopped her cold.
Thud. A grunt. A muffled cry.
She turned, instincts flaring. The alley was dim, littered with broken crates and reeking of spilled ale. No one else was around—just silence and shadow. She stepped closer, drawn by the unmistakable rhythm of violence.
There, in the gloom, three mercenary types—drunk, cloaked, and swaying—loomed over a girl curled on the ground, trembling beneath their boots and fists. Her smock was nothing more than rags.
Lily froze, the sight searing into her mind.
And then—memory struck.
Concrete floors. Cruel laughter. A circle of college girls, fists and nails tearing at her as she begged them to stop. The humiliation. The helplessness. The sting of being prey.
Her stomach twisted. No. Not again.
She clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. She hadn’t been able to save herself back then. But she could stop this now.
Rage surged hot and sharp. She leapt forward, planting herself between the attackers and the girl, arms spread wide like a shield.
“I don’t know what kind of animals you are,” she growled, “but this is inhumane.”
The men laughed, their breath sour with drink.
“Inhuman?” one slurred. “Take a good look at what you’re protecting.”
Lily knelt and gently lifted the girl’s face. Her breath caught. Dog-like ears twitched atop her head, and two small fangs peeked from her upper lip. But her eyes—wet, terrified, and unmistakably human—held Lily in place.
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“Maybe she isn’t human by nature,” Lily said, voice low, “but you are inhuman in soul.”
One of the men squinted, recognition dawning through the haze.
“Ahh… you’re that girl who got summoned. The one with two blessings, right?” He scoffed. “Cut the crap and get lost.”
His tone sharpened, laced with resentment.
“Demihumans? They’re a lost nation. You think we should starve so they can eat? When the demon army comes, we’ll be the ones dying on empty stomachs while they live off our share. That fair to you?”
He stepped closer, voice rising.
“They came crawling to us. If they want food and shelter, they’ll accept whatever terms we give them.”
Lily’s chest ached. If she walked away now, the shame would never leave her.
“It’s still wrong,” she said, trembling but firm. “They survived the demon invasion. That doesn’t mean they should live like slaves.”
Her words fell flat. The men smirked.
The one who’d spoken sneered. “Still don’t get it? Fine. We’ll let her go—if you give us one hour. Just one.”
Lily’s gaze dropped, then snapped back like a blade. She drove her fist into his face.
He staggered, stunned. The other two lunged, pinning her against the wall. Their leader rubbed his chin, grinning.
“That actually hurt a little,” he said, raising a fist.
Before he could strike, the wolf girl whispered.
“Hey, lady. Why don’t you just leave? I chose this life. I want them to treat me like this.”
The men let go of Lily.
She stared at the girl, shocked. “You were crying. You can’t mean that.”
But the girl’s weary conviction was enough to make Lily hesitate. Enough to plant doubt.
And so Lily walked away—haunted by the silence behind her.
Lily ran through the southern district, heart pounding. She tried everything—flagging guards, begging civilians—but met only indifference. Shrugs. Blank stares. Silence.
She was about to leave entirely when she spotted her: a blonde woman in crimson silk, posture regal, flanked by armed guards. Clearly someone from high society—someone who could act.
A spark of hope lit in Lily’s chest. She hurried over, brushing dust from her face.
“Excuse me, my lady,” she said, breathless. “I have something important to tell you.”
The woman turned, smiling with calm composure. “You may speak.”
Lily leaned in. “Three drunk men in the market district were speaking vile things behind your back—about wanting you in bed, and worse. I tried to stop them, but they scared me off. So I came to you.”
The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “Lead the way.”
Lily brought her to the alley, now accompanied by a dozen soldiers. The scene hadn’t changed. The men were still there, beating the wolf girl as if nothing had happened.
The soldiers surged forward, disarmed them, and forced them to their knees. The woman in red stood silent, her expression unreadable.
One man spat at the ground. “We didn’t do anything to upset Her Majesty Kristina Kardelis. What business do you have with us?”
Kristina wrinkled her nose at their stench. “Tch. The audacity of your insolence.”
She turned to her guards. “Beat these three until they can’t remember their own names.”
As the soldiers moved in, Lily rushed past them, kneeling beside the unconscious wolf girl. She gently wiped the dirt from her face, whispering soft words.
Kristina pointed to two men. “You two—help the girls. Carry them to my carriage.”
Later, inside the ornate carriage, four girls sat quietly. A nurse tended the demihuman, checking her wounds with practiced care. Kristina and Lily sat side by side, the tension between them softened into a fragile silence.
