The Speed of Gossip 

Ard thought for a moment. “That’s a very profound statement.”

Yexi replied calmly, “You’re just overthinking it. Also, even after knowing I was a man, you still had a physiological reaction. You’re not just a pervert at this point, are you? What should I call you? Mr. Human-shaped Autocannon?”

“My reaction is to your body, not your soul. And I’ll admit, I haven’t exactly trained my self-control to resist temptation of your caliber.”

“…But it makes me uncomfortable.” Seeing Ard’s stubborn refusal to back down, Yexi’s voice remained flat. She placed her hand on the hilt of the dagger still embedded in his chest. “Let me help you calm down.”

“Wait! Let’s just—”

SHLICK. Yexi pulled the dagger out, paused for a breathtaking second, and then plunged it back in, to the exact same depth as before. But the pain!

Ard no longer had the mental capacity to consider the feelings of any other part of his body. The agony radiating from his heart seized his entire nervous system, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Thankfully, it only lasted for two or three seconds, though to Ard, it felt like an eternity.

“There. It seems you can think with your upper body now. I hope your brain isn’t entirely made of mush. Now, speak. Besides lusting after my body, what is your other purpose?”

Yexi’s pain-based calming technique was remarkably effective. At the very least, it made Ard understand that, to him, she was anything but a friend.

He gritted his teeth against the pain. “I am weak. And this weakness, until certain conditions are met, cannot be overcome through training alone. But those conditions are incredibly demanding. I need to get stronger, quickly. Something that will bring me lifelong regret is about to happen, and I need enough power to change it.”

“So you set your sights on me? You seem to know a lot of things. My strength should be a secret, but you’ve been suspicious of me from the very beginning.”

“I’ve been reborn twice. The first time, I was inexplicably reborn into this world, like reincarnation. The second time was three years from now in the current timeline. I used the Reality Crystal to return to the past—three years before that future. I obtained some information. An assassin named Silver Wing will appear in this region for the first time in the next few days, and will later become infamous throughout the world.”

“…”

Yexi’s golden eyes bored into Ard, as if trying to discern the truth of his words. She had no desire to be a tool for killing ever again. She now had people she couldn’t bear to leave. An assassin needed no attachments. If what Ard said was true, and she were to take up her old trade again, that would mean…

“Has history changed?” Yexi asked quietly.

Ard nodded. “It has. As far as I know, the Pekoin City incident was supposed to happen tonight. But the battle started yesterday and ended this morning. And the Grand Holy Church sent reinforcements. None of that happened in my previous life.”

“Is that your purpose for coming here? To save Pekoin City?”

“No.” Ard shook his head, looking at her without a trace of fear. “Saving is a privilege of the strong. I am weak. All I want to do is destroy the heretics’ plans. Destruction is much easier than salvation. The more secretive a plan is, the more likely a single deviation can cause the whole thing to collapse. I just need to create a small crack in their perfect wall.”

“But you are weak. Even if destruction is easier than salvation, a single misstep and you’ll be torn to pieces.”

“That’s right. I have no power, no evidence, and no strength. But I have courage. The courage to take a gamble. I’ve lived two lives as a nobody at the bottom of the food chain. I can’t just stand by and watch it happen all over again. It’s success or a noble death. And I’m not acting recklessly. You should know that, Yexi.”

At that moment, Yexi saw a blazing fire in Ard’s eyes—a fire forged from unwillingness, courage, and a desperate yearning.

She lowered her gaze. “Is that so? While I can’t be sure if what you say is true, thank you nonetheless. You want me to help you deal with the aftermath of this? I can agree to that.”

“Not just that. I want more.”

Yexi raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be too greedy.”

“Perhaps. But I won’t be satisfied. And Yexi, even without this as a bargaining chip, you would have dealt with the aftermath anyway. I can tell you, this is far from over. A greater disaster will befall this country soon. The people you care about are in this country. For their sake, you won’t just stop here. This is no ordinary cult. They are powerful and secretive, a problem that even the Grand Holy Church finds troublesome. But I am a regressor. I know a lot about the future. I can help you destroy their subsequent plans.”

“Are you threatening me?”

A flicker of anger ignited in Yexi’s eyes. Her hand went back to the dagger, as if she were about to end his life in the next instant.

But this time, Ard was not flustered at all. She was angry, truly angry, but she hadn’t lost her reason. This was good news for Ard. It meant she was finally starting to see him as a player in the game, not just an insignificant passerby. He held the bargaining chips she needed. She would not kill him.

“Don’t be angry. The people I care about are also in this country. At most, we’ll be helping each other. But don’t you dare use this as the bargaining chip for the Divine Contract.”

“You’re not going to tell Thomas and the others from the Grand Holy Church about this?”

“They wouldn’t believe me. And I can’t predict the Grand Holy Church’s attitude toward regressors and transmigrators. If I’m treated as a heretic or a madman, then it’s really over.”

Yexi and Ard stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, she spoke. “What do you want?”

“I am a Black Dragon half-breed. To become stronger, I need to bathe in the blood of a Black Dragon. I need you to help me obtain it, and to protect me in the meantime.”

Yexi shook her head, “Those are two conditions.”

“Those are not two conditions. Only one. The latter is an addendum to the former. If I die during this period, you won’t get to see that goddess. And it’s clear that goddess doesn’t want too many people to see her, otherwise she would have spoken to you directly.”

“Why ‘in the meantime’? Where is this Black Dragon blood?”

“I don’t know its current location. But in three years, it will appear as the prize for the winner of the Sky Arena.”

Yexi frowned. “So you want me to protect you for three years? Isn’t that condition a bit too excessive?!”

“I…”

Just as Ard was about to speak, the door to the room suddenly burst open.

“Mr. Ard, sorry to disturb your rest. Commander Thomas… huh?!”

Elienla had just entered and was met with an unexpected scene. Yexi was lying sideways on top of Ard in an extremely intimate position, as if they were lovers whispering sweet nothings in bed. Yexi and Ard stared at Elienla in shock, not having expected her at all. Yexi had only been lying on him to hide the dagger still sticking out of his chest.

“S-s-s… sorry! I-I didn’t know you two were in that kind of relationship! I just wanted to tell Mr. Ard that Commander Thomas and the Lord were looking for him! I was worried he wouldn’t hear the knock since he was resting, so I came straight in! I didn’t know you were… in the middle of something… Ahh, I’m so sorry! I’ll go tell the Lord that you two’re… unavailable right now!”

Elienla, her mind filled with all sorts of scenarios, covered her blushing face and ran out.

“Wait!” Yexi scrambled up to chase after her. Knowing Elienla’s personality, she would definitely tell the Lady, all according to her own imagined version of events. If that happened, Yexi would never be able to clear her name.

The moment Yexi jumped off the bed, Ard grabbed her hand.

“I’ll give you my answer later! Can’t you see I’m busy?!” she said impatiently.

“The knife in my chest…”

“Just leave it in! It won’t kill you!” With that, she shook off his hand and ran out. Ard opened his mouth to protest, but she was already gone.

He was at a loss for words. It won’t kill me, sure, but am I supposed to walk around and meet people like this?!

As it turned out, the speed at which gossip travels can outpace even a top-tier assassin. By the time Yexi found Elienla, she was already whispering animatedly to the Lady, her face flushed. Seeing the mischievous smile on the Marchioness’s face, Yexi felt a sense of doom.

The Lady noticed the flustered Yexi and waved her over. Yexi walked over, her heart heavy as lead. The Marchioness patted her shoulder grandly. “Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of everything for you!”

“You don’t have to trouble yourself, really…”

“Of course I do! You and Elienla are both my children! I must take care of this!”

Yexi felt even more exhausted. But unlike before, this was a pure, soul-crushing weariness.

Meanwhile, Ard, with a dagger still sticking out of his chest, went directly to the drawing-room where the Marquis and Thomas were waiting. The two men were stunned into silence at the sight of him, and even more so by his nonchalant demeanor.

The Marquis pointed at Ard’s chest. “What… is that?”

Ard, acting as if nothing were wrong, said, “I was peeling fruit and my hand slipped.”

Thomas: “…”

The Marquis: “…”

Ard’s explanation was so absurdly creative it was almost impressive. Just how badly must one’s hand slip to stab oneself in the heart?

“Um, could you find a physician to take a look at this? To be honest, I’m a little worried.”

So you do know this is a worrying situation, the Marquis thought. He strangely ordered someone to find a physician, then said to Ard, “Commander Thomas and I wanted to ask you about the intelligence on this cult’s activities. Uh… perhaps you should go rest first.”

“It’s fine. This is actually not a big deal, just… a bit alarming to look at. As long as you two don’t mind.”

We actually mind a lot.

The Marquis and Thomas exchanged a look and decided to put aside this minor… impropriety for now. Thomas asked, “Mr. Ard, I heard from the Marquis that you were the first to provide intelligence on the Krass Order’s attack. And you have already been vetted by the Sanctum. I was wondering if you have any other information, for example, the purpose of this attack?”