Earlier, when Louise said she was the orphanage’s hope, Yihan thought she was joking—just exaggerating to win his help.

When he crawled out of another dry well, covered in dust and dirt, and met dozens of hopeful eyes head-on, Yihan realized the girl hadn’t lied.

Nearly all the orphanage children had gathered here. They were in an abandoned clock tower northwest of Soul Valley Town, not far from Saint Peter Orphanage. It was their usual rest spot after selling matches all day. Only biting wind and snow ever visited this place.

Louise stood at the front, clearly the kids’ leader. Luna, with her deep red short hair, hid behind Louise as usual. She uneasily watched this stranger she’d met only once, clutching the girl’s sleeve tightly.

On the way here, Yihan kept wondering how to rescue Lia. Sneaking her out past guards and the Fallen Cult seemed impossible. At least some obstacles needed clearing. When Louise came asking him to take them away, he couldn’t pass up such a chance.

He cleared his throat theatrically, beckoned the orphans closer, and declared with confidence, “Louise told me everything. I can help you escape—but first, you must do something for me.”

Everyone, including Louise, looked confused but nodded obediently.

“Do you still have matches left?”

They exchanged uneasy glances. With the headmistress planning to sell them off, who’d bother selling matches? If not for their unfamiliarity with the outside world, they’d have fled long ago. They’d gathered here, pinning hopes on Louise’s search. After all, she’d promised Lia knew outsiders who’d save them.

They didn’t know Lia’s real situation—only that she’d been locked up. They assumed she’d refused to be sold as a noble’s toy and fought back, earning punishment. This made their urge to escape even stronger.

“Good,” Yihan said, eyeing their bundles of matches. He felt like a villain announcing the next step. “I need you to set your orphanage on fire. Draw the whole town to put it out. Can you do that?”

Silence fell over the clock tower.

Everyone stared at Yihan’s serious smile, shivering slightly.

Had they made a mistake? Would this guy really help them? Asking them to start a fire—if caught, it meant more than being sold as toys. It meant the gallows.

Louise looked even more horrified, almost thinking she’d brought a demon inside. She’d lied and cheated to survive before, but compared to Yihan’s fire-starting demand, her tricks seemed kind.

“We’ll… be beaten to death…” she stammered weakly.

“If caught, yes,” Yihan agreed solemnly. Then he added, “But are you sure nobles won’t play you to death after buying you?”

The orphans, who’d only imagined such horrors, froze. Their faces paled instantly.

They’d heard rumors: no sold orphan ever returned. That alone spoke volumes.

Doubt flickered among them.

“What if we burn the orphanage? Where would we go?” Little Luna raised a trembling hand, voicing everyone’s fear.

“You run first. Get far away, out of sight. Once the fire starts, rush back to help put it out—as if nothing happened. Soul Valley Town has only one orphanage: Saint Peter’s. If it burns, the mayor and nobles can’t ignore it. Their reputation’s at stake. They’ll forget about you. You survivors, who helped fight the flames, will get temporary shelter with families. That time is enough to prepare quietly and leave.”

“You can use this chance to gather travel money, find paths out of the mountains, and plan your next stop. Then slip away when ready.”

…

Near dusk, Yihan split from Louise’s group. He dodged patrolling mounted police while racing toward the ruined theater where Lia was held.

From high clock towers, he spotted guards swarming Lia’s location. The mayor must’ve sent them, fearing Yihan and Carola wouldn’t give up. The mysterious Fallen Cult members were nowhere visible.

With sharp eyes, Yihan saw Lia inside a faint red energy barrier. She lay peacefully on dry ground, asleep. Her face was calm, but the barrier—something even the Fallen Cult couldn’t break—had thinned dangerously. Carola said it wouldn’t last. If Yihan didn’t rescue or wake her soon, Lia’s fate would be grim.

He grew restless, glancing northwest toward Saint Peter Orphanage. The headmistress never guessed her “money-making tools” were now uniting to burn the old building down.

Louise knew the place well—which spots caught fire fastest, which would collapse. Yihan told them to make as much noise as possible, drawing the whole town.

Why weren’t they acting yet?

As if on cue, thick black smoke rose from the orphanage. At first thin and narrow, it soon billowed upward in waves. Yihan even heard faint explosions. He frowned—how did those girls manage that?

Just as he’d guessed, the remote orphanage wouldn’t alert townsfolk easily. By the time anyone noticed, Louise’s group had already set the whole place ablaze and escaped.

Deafening church bells rang from Soul Valley Town’s center, echoing everywhere. Streets filled with thundering footsteps as every free resident rushed out, flooding toward the orphanage. Even the theater guards abandoned their posts, streaming northwest from all directions.

Everything unfolded as planned. Now, only the six dangerous Fallen Cult members stood in his way.

So I have to face those six terrifying enemies alone?

Remembering how evenly matched they were with Carola, Yihan couldn’t smile. But with Lia’s time running out, he took the risk. He climbed down the clock tower, slipped past frantic crowds and guards, and sprinted straight for the theater.

Midway, he grabbed pebbles from the ground and raided a kitchen for cleavers. Last time, he’d seen the Fallen Cult relied on magic, not melee. If he closed the distance, he might stand a chance.

“Ever since I transmigrated, I find I can snap anytime,” Yihan would later say of himself.