She eyed me for a bit before a smile emerged on her face. “Yes, I am. In the first place, it was stupid of me to hope that I could run from my past when my lover is an overly ambitious immortal demigod. It was only a matter of time before you started butting heads with nobility… After all, there can only be the current system of feudalistic oppression or the tyranny of the Primordial Villain. The two can’t coexist, peace was only an option until you grew in strength to the point where you could begin fighting against the system.”
Lucille thought inwardly a bit before continuing, “Furthermore, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t eager to see the downfall of the vile twins. I didn’t dare dream of revenge due to the insurmountable wall that stood between me and all who played a role in killing my mother as I was just a level one nobody running a cheap inn for commoners. However, now that I have you all as well as the personal change I underwent in the past months to grow strong, I believe it’s high time for me to dream big once again. I have to get over my past, and the best way to do so is to shed some much-needed blood, which will be the first step I take toward avenging my mother.”
“You’re an amazing woman, no wonder I fell for you…” I murmured, eliciting an even brighter smile from her before I turned serious and swept my gaze across my Ascendants just as Blossom’s voice sounded in all our minds;
<Master! Blossom has been following the targets for a while, they are getting ready to leave the capital city in a highly defensive artifact-like carriage. But there’s something strange! It’s not drawn by anything, instead, it seems to hover slightly above ground.>
I thought so. Their ride must be the fantasy equivalent of an armored vehicle. I’d never seen one beforehand, but just like Broderick and his wife traversed on a hovering carpet-like item when we first met, I can image the truly privileged to be traversing on a version that is more accommodating with lush chairs and is much more defensive as well.
<How many strong guards did you spy around them?>
<Five, and there’s also the slim elf lady, Blossom thinks her to be the strongest out of them.>
<Alright, here’s the plan…>
…
“What’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite color? What’s your favorite hobby?” Vivienne bombarded Sylvaris with her questions.
The elven matriarch was sitting in front of the twins in their artifact carriage. Next to her sat the perpetually trembling Eira, the 15-year-old girl who was sold as a maid but in reality was groomed to be a pleasure toy.
As for why Sylvaris was not yet harassed, Vivienne was so infatuated with the woman that she wanted to win her heart the right way instead of beginning to molest the elf to her heart’s content. To this effect, she did her best to get to know Sylvaris, hence her many questions.
“Are you ordering me to answer your questions?” Sylvaris spoke up for the first time. Her voice was so serene that it bordered on emotionless. Her expression was the same; she was the living definition of the words ‘refinement’ and ‘grace’.
Vivienne gasped, “No! I have no intentions of treating you like a slave.”
Sylvaris took this as permission to remain silent, which was exactly what she did as she began examining the environment they were traveling through. Their carriage was completely closed off from the outside, but the walls were set up in a way that allowed those sitting inside to see what was going on outside through special artifacts that acted as one-way windows.
Their guards were positioned outside the carriage, save for the one who sat in a separate compartment and was the driver of the vehicle. At their levels, the guards could run at incredible speeds, so they didn’t hinder the pace of the journey back to Greenvale.
Amara watched her sister fail over and over again her first attempts at winning someone’s heart instead of just skipping all steps and raping them, as she always did up until now. It was quite amusing, but there was one thing going on in her mind that made her anxious. “What do you think Dad will say when he learns how much we spent?”
Vivienne turned to her twin sister before giggling, “Hehe! I think Papa will not be angry. Sure, you wasted money on the laborers and the staff, and we spent quite a bit on this useless kid, but Miss Sylvaris should be worth her price. She is an amazing woman, after all! And even if he gets angry, I’m sure Mom will take care of it.”
“Are you sure? Even if she’s a beautiful elf, her class and levels don’t make her price worth that much, she’s not even a virgin, our information says that she has a daughter who was bought by a man called Quinlan or something stupid like that, who later sold her and that’s where the trail ended… The only thing that could bolster this elf’s value to the 700 gold we paid would be political, but the Alliance of Elvardia doesn’t border us, we’re constantly warring with the Beastkin Confederation instead. Therefore I’m not sure how much sway she holds as a hostage. Furthermore, there are hundreds of clans in the elf-dwarf alliance, hers isn’t anything special.”
The two then turned their heads toward Sylvaris, looking for her opinion. The woman met their gaze but refused to part her delicate lips. “Answer.” Amara hissed.
“My favorite color is silver.”
“Answer my question, not hers! Dumb bitch pretending to be crafty…” Amara hissed.
“Don’t speak to her like that! I’m sorry, Miss Sylvaris, my sister has a foul mouth, but I think very highly of you!”
Sylvaris ignored Vivienne and replied to Amara with condescending eyes as if she were conversing with a stupid kid; “You didn’t ask a question.”
Amara had enough – she lunged at the elven matriarch to beat her rude mouth up, but Vivienne grabbed onto the furious woman to hold her back.
The guard at the front who assumed driver duties suddenly shouted with a voice that was full of unease, “There’s someone ahead!” Her words caught everyone’s attention, silencing the chatter inside the carriage.
Vivienne and Amara exchanged puzzled glances, the speed with which they traveled should not allow anyone to set up a trap in time, as their vehicle allowed them to take any uncharted path they wanted. No one should know where they were precisely until they arrived home.
They turned their gazes toward the artifact windows. Through the one-way window, they saw him.
A man stood alone in the middle of their path as the forest’s shadows danced around him like ghosts. His appearance was the definition of malevolence – his entire setup was pitch-black.
In his right hand, he held a saber like they’d never seen before. Blue flames licked hungrily along its black edge, making their glow illuminate the surrounding darkness and giving the tall man a truly ominous presence.
The guards halted in their tracks alongside the carriage, drew their weapons, and moved to form a protective barrier in front of the hovering carriage. One of them barked out a warning. “You there! Out of the way, before we cut you down!”
The man didn’t respond. He remained still in the form of a towering monument of dread.
Then, from one moment to the next, his form crackled and he vanished.
The guards blinked as they were stunned for a fraction of a second before a flash of lightning illuminated the place.
…
A/N: Please read the note below.