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“You will spearhead an invasion into their territory and cause as much damage as you possibly can. That’s all.” Heretic finished his debriefing with a matter-of-factly tone.
That’s all? That’s all he says! He is so nonchalant about it too. But, to be fair, if we have a Veil Walker on our side it should be possible to succeed. After all, we just have to find some barren territories where they aren’t stationing similarly mighty guards and at worst our examiner will step in. I hope. Otherwise, this mission is near assured suicide.
“It seems we will be teaming up once again.” Ambition stated.
“Yeah. All of us will be together once again. Plump Fox, Dumb Hound, I hope we can put our differences behind us and work like a well-oiled machine once again.” My sarcasm was palpable. If it wasn’t bad enough to be given such a dangerous task, we will need to worry about them backstabbing us as well.
While I might’ve been unhappy about the pair’s inclusion, but Selene was straight-up terrified as if she had just seen a ghost. Pun not intended.
I understood her point of view, after all, we are clearly hostile to each other and she lost multiple Heralds while we had all of us not only intact but in pristine fighting condition.
I got no reply from the duo, as they simply turned around on their heels and bolted out of the cavern.
“Shall the two of us travel there together?” I asked Ambition. Selene and Cedric for sure wouldn’t agree to travel with us, but the elves were another story. With so many forest dwellers our travels would be seamless almost certainly.
“We agree. Meet you at the gate at dawn?” The tanker asked, to which I nodded.
Afterward, we also headed back to our temporary abode. <My beloved Samurai, we’ve finally gotten a lead, huh.>
I stated into Ayame’s mind.
<So you didn’t forget your promise despite all the flirting you’ve been doing with the tanky elf? Color me surprised.> She wasn’t overly happy based on her tone of voice.
<How could I do that? Also, it wasn’t flirting. You know how amazing of a damage sponge she is. Furthermore, I don’t even know how she looks. She might be an ugly tramp who’s a wrinkled 1000-year-old granny.>
<You don’t seem to have trouble with older women.>
<Don’t you dare diss my Lucille, woman. She is youthful like a beautiful spring flower.>
<…>
<Anyhow, so it was likely the Phantom League who got in bed with your sister and orchestrated your betrayal, right?>
Indeed, from Heretic’s revealed info it was safe to say that the biggest syndicate in Fujimori territory- also known as the Silverwind duchy- had something to do with her getting poisoned which led to her losing the duel for succession against Kaede, and especially her father dying abruptly.
<Looks like it. To think that such a big criminal organization existed in my duchy and I had no clue about it… Father must’ve kept it from me for some odd reason.>
<Maybe he wanted his young daughter to only see the bright side of the world. After all, he should’ve continued to rule for hundreds of years. His tragic demise came very early.>
<…You’re right.>
She was pretty depressed based on her voice, so I moved closer and gave her a one-armed hug as I grabbed her farther shoulder and brought her into my chest. We were still walking so that was the best I could do for the time being.
…
Meanwhile, back in Braedon.
Robert was standing behind the receptionist’s desk as he awaited new guests he could welcome in.
Since Quinlan left his two servants here, they learned the ropes rather well and replaced Lucille effectively. At least, as far as their capacity as innkeepers went. The two young girls would never replace the wife he lost due to their lord seducing the love of his life.
Robert was brought out of his daydreaming when the door to the inn suddenly swung open with a loud creak, and he glanced up out of habit. His face settled into a practiced, welcoming smile. However, it froze halfway and the warmth drained from his expression as soon as the new arrival stepped inside.
A young woman crossed the door. Her every movement was smooth and unhurried, radiating a confidence that felt entirely out of place in the shabby, poorly decorated common room of the inn.
She was striking- stunning, even- with the kind of beauty that made one forget to breathe for a moment. The only woman who could possibly hope to rival this newcomer in the beauty department that Robert knew of all belonged to the bastard’s harem, including his ex-wife.
Her clothes were of the finest make he’d ever seen. A flowing dress trimmed with golden threads clung to her extremely alluring frame in just the right places to emphasize her gorgeous form. If Robert wasn’t dealing with erectile malfunctions he surely would’ve popped a boner a long time ago.
Jewels adorned her neck, wrist, and ears. She was refined, elegant, and downright hot as fuck, like someone who was a high noble’s most cherished daughter. She didn’t belong in this worn and weather-beaten wooden building at all.
But it wasn’t just her innate beauty or her attire that set Robert’s instincts on edge. It was something else. An ominous presence. The air around her seemed to ripple with a suffocating pressure, creating a tangible weight that made his heart beat faster and a chill crawl up his spine. He had felt something like this before- a feeling of suffocating danger, an unspoken threat wrapped in a thin veil of civility.
It was how he felt in Quinlan’s presence, though with Quinlan it had been an aura of raw power that was barely restrained and intimidatingly obvious. This woman, however, was different. Her danger was subtler, quieter- like a sharpened blade concealed behind a soft smile. She was much smaller and less physically imposing than Quinlan but the silent alarm bells ringing in his mind were louder than they’d ever been.
“Good afternoon.” she greeted in a smooth tone that was calm as if she were completely at ease. Her gaze settled on him, making the hair on his back stand at attention.
A cruel lioness was staring straight into his eyes.