Ric frowned, his brows knitting together as if Gunter's words made no sense to him.
"Yes... they were human."
"You can't just kill people like they're monsters."
Gunter's eyes widened before narrowing into a glare. The muscles in his jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared as he took a sharp step forward.
"What?!"
"They were trying to kill you!"
He jabbed a finger toward the fleeing bandits.
"Like monsters? That's nonsense."
He let out a humorless laugh.
"Monsters would've shown you more mercy than they would've."
His voice rose with every word until it echoed across the mountains.
"Do you know what would've happened to you, little lady, if you weren't in the Fourth Class Advancement?"
"You would've died."
"Slowly."
"In agony."
He strode over to Ranar before lowering himself into a squat until they were eye level.
His weathered face softened for only an instant before becoming frighteningly serious.
He held her gaze without blinking.
"You would've been defiled."
