Subtitle: A Lecherous Wolf… [Omitted]
Qiweiya… Oh, no, he should be called Karn now. That name sounds rather ordinary.
Karn, bearing the purple greatsword aptly named ‘Overweight Blade: Charge’ (a four-star capped equipment from Honkai Impact 3rd), rode a horse alongside a merchant caravan. He had simply joined this caravan, which was bound for the continent’s most renowned academy.
The academy’s name was straightforward to a fault: ‘The Strongest Academy.’ Karn couldn’t help but inwardly mock it upon learning this.
Unlike typical tales, this caravan had no sheltered young ladies or runaway princesses; everything about it seemed perfectly ordinary.
Karn wasn’t particularly concerned, for his true form was that of an adorable loli! It remained to be seen who would seduce whom in the end.
If an older, mature woman were to appear, things would become truly amusing. She would undoubtedly ‘reverse push’ Karn’s shota body, which seemed utterly incapable of refusal. What a pity that would be!
Karn felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Uncle Seim, a jovial and overly familiar mercenary from the caravan.
Karn blinked, then asked with a hint of confusion, “Is something the matter, Uncle Seim?”
Scanning his surroundings, Seim beckoned Karn closer. “Come here, I need to tell you something quietly.”
Karn, suppressing a strange feeling, leaned in without suspicion and whispered, “Is it something important?”
A sly grin spread across Seim’s face as he pointed forward. “Tell me, who among this lot is younger than you?”
Karn’s expression was utterly bewildered. “No one, I suppose. Why? Is there a problem?”
Seim leaned in conspiratorially. “You see, this caravan is actually protecting Obsidian Sabellius, the Human Empire’s young prince!”
Karn’s face was a picture of utter disbelief, as if he’d just been ‘poi-ed.’ He had assumed this caravan was a safe passage, allowing him to easily dispatch some low-level nuisances on the way to the academy.
To discover it was a covert mission to protect a prince? This was nothing short of asking for trouble!
Karn asked gravely, “Can I withdraw now? I’m out.”
Seim merely smiled, replying, “What do you think?”
Karn wiped a bead of sweat. “Fine… I concede! But how can a weakling like me, barely a Tier 4 military combatant, possibly survive an attack?”
He clutched Seim’s clothes frantically. “Uncle Seim, you’re incredibly powerful, right? You have to protect me! I don’t want to die so young!”
Seim, sweating profusely, forced a smile at the adorable, teary-eyed Karn (loli-shota). “Don’t be afraid. As long as you stay within three meters of me, I can protect you even from a City-level threat! Your life will be safe.”
Karn inwardly scoffed. ‘Tsk. This uncle, merely a peak Tier 6 military combatant, was boasting he could protect me from a City-level expert. This was a classic example of not just tempting fate, but practically planting another flag for it.’
“Huh?” Karn gasped, and Seim also turned his head to look at the front of the procession.
There stood a lithe, black-clad, masked woman. No, judging by her facial structure, she was merely a girl under fifteen, an absolute beauty of national renown. This fact was undeniable, even with her dark face covering.
‘To think such a beautiful girl appeared after only a few days? Is my luck truly this good? Indeed, too much good luck can be a bother~ Oh, I’m guilty.’
Kiel, the leader, stared intently at the girl and demanded, “Woman, why do you block our path? We possess nothing valuable enough to warrant the attention of a City-level expert such as yourself.”
The girl’s eyes briefly flickered over Karn. “I harbor no ill intentions. There’s no need for such vigilance; I merely wish to hitch a ride.”
Kiel sneered. “I’m unaware of our humble caravan deserving the honor of transporting an expert of your caliber. Please, leave. We dare not harbor someone who could effortlessly overpower us all.”
The girl’s piercing red eyes glanced at the carriage. “Do you believe a caravan protected by a Nation-level expert lacks the qualifications for me to join?”
Clang! Clang! Clang! Everyone in the caravan drew their weapons. An explosive tension filled the air between the caravan and the mysterious girl.
The girl raised an eyebrow. “Now that I’ve revealed it, do you intend to silence me?”
Kiel, radiating killing intent, questioned, “How do you know? Are you one of Kavia’s people?”
The girl shrugged helplessly. “If you wish to accuse me, I have no way to explain. No matter what I say, you’ll still consider me an enemy.”
Just as Kiel was about to retort, a voice cut him off. “Enough! Let her in!”
It was Karn, who, with a harmonious smile, looked at the mysterious girl whose intentions remained unclear. “Come, join me over here. That way, I can guarantee you won’t be questioned by them.”
For reasons unknown to him, Kiel found himself unable to defy Karn’s command and simply watched as the girl walked into the caravan.
After the strange influence dissipated, Kiel subtly glanced at Karn and the girl, but said nothing more about the bizarre incident.
Uncle Seim, beside Karn, looked utterly aghast and cautiously moved away. Karn, however, was accustomed to such reactions; weren’t humans always afraid of the strange?
The girl walked up to Karn, giving him a curious look. Karn, with a smile, asked, “Hey there, miss~ What’s your name? How old are you? Are you married? Blah, blah, blah, etc.?”
The girl’s blood-red eyes fixed coldly on Karn. Karn scratched his head. “Even if you don’t say anything, I’ll keep asking, you know~ So, how about cooperating a little? That fierce uncle just now was older than me… and you know, ‘a higher rank crushes people.'”
Seeing the girl still remained silent, Karn spoke again.
“Vernis!”
Karn choked for a moment, then replied awkwardly, “Ahaha… So you’re Miss Vernis! A pleasure to meet you, a pleasure. I’m Karn! As you can see, I’m a passenger who cut in line. If there’s anything I don’t know on the journey, I hope you’ll look out for me!”
Vernis, looking down (the girl was 1.67 meters tall, Karn 1.54 meters), asked coldly, “Are you finished?”
Karn swallowed. “Uh… pretty much.”
Vernis commanded, “If you’re pretty much done, then shut up and ride your horse properly!”
However… “Um…”
A glare— Karn swallowed his words, looking deflated, and continued riding his horse.
“I…”
Another glare— Karn retreated once more under her gaze. This scene had repeated dozens of times, leaving Vernis with a twisted expression, staring fixedly at Karn, as if dreading another word.
Karn, tapping his middle finger, whispered, “You really don’t have to look at me like that~ I know I’m handsome, but I get shy too~”
Vernis rolled her eyes. She wondered if she had stepped in something unlucky today. Otherwise, how could a simple assassination lead her to such an oddball? She needed to find a way to escape this annoying brat.
Karn watched Vernis’s conflicted expression, barely containing his laughter. He knew the girl was nearing her breaking point.
A few more provocations, and she would undoubtedly lash out, creating an opportunity for Karn to ‘take’ her. A fresh catch would then be served!
Both harbored their own ulterior motives…
Karn stealthily patted Vernis’s back… and managed to grope her in the process.
By the time Vernis noticed, Karn had already withdrawn his hand. Vernis, her face dark, spoke with an absolute zero-degree tone, “That hand just now was yours, wasn’t it?”
Karn looked around, feigning confusion. “Huh? What? What hand? Did you see wrong, Big Sister?”
Vernis gritted her teeth. “Refusing to admit it, are we? Then I’ll beat you until you do!”
Karn drew his greatsword, parrying the dagger that had mysteriously appeared in Vernis’s hand. He carefully said, “Big Sister, could you please not play with such dangerous toys next time? My little life almost ended… You wouldn’t want to see an adorable shota like me perish here, would you?”
“Hmph!” Vernis spat furiously. “You shameless little lecher! It would be better if you died, at least then you wouldn’t continue to harm women!” With that, she launched several more attacks.
Clang, clang, clang, clang… Karn continuously adjusted the angle of his greatsword, blocking all attacks. “Big Sister, we can’t fight here. Look, they’re all afraid to come near us now.”
Vernis quickly surveyed her surroundings, noting that everyone in the caravan had retreated at least five meters away. Her target, however, was inside a carriage, a good thirty meters distant, guarded by a Nation-level expert.
At this range, it was impossible to launch a surprise fatal blow with the weapon her organization provided. She needed to somehow draw the battle closer, to within ten meters, to have any chance of completing her mission.
While Vernis’s talent in manipulating battle qi was not extraordinary, it was certainly above average. Yet, the brat before her, whom even a City-level expert like herself could clearly perceive as only a Tier 4 military combatant, was fighting her with surprising ease for so long.
Anyone who wasn’t an idiot would know this fellow was hiding his true strength… possibly even a peak Nation-level expert.
Vernis’s mouth, hidden beneath her mask, pouted as she cursed inwardly, ‘Damn old monster! Acting so young despite their age.’
Karn’s ears twitched, and a dark line appeared on his forehead. He inwardly declared that if Vernis weren’t such an adorable girl, he would have long since obliterated her with a single sword stroke.
Age was a taboo for someone like Karn, who had transitioned from human to god. If it weren’t for his intention to seduce this girl, he definitely wouldn’t tolerate such a remark.
The battle had been drawn to within ten meters of the carriage by Vernis, and the rigid expression on her face finally softened slightly.
A cunning glint flashed in Karn’s eyes. “Oh dear! Big Sister, why are you fighting so close to the carriage? Naughty sisters must be punished, you know~”
Splat! The greatsword landed with an odd sound on Vernis’s backside. Vernis’s blood-red eyes seemed to spit fire, but for the sake of her mission, she gritted her teeth and endured.
Karn was somewhat surprised that she could still endure, but seeing the girl’s strange posture, he realized that if he didn’t stop her now, the girl’s mission would truly succeed.
The greatsword spun, imbued with powerful battle qi, sending Vernis flying over fifty meters away. Under the girl’s astonished gaze, Karn smiled and said, “Alright! I’m done playing with you. Let’s end this boring fight and reap the abundant rewards!”
With that, he raised his greatsword. “Valkyrie Charge!” The heavy blade cleaved into the ground with a dull thud.
A linear wave of fractured earth shot across the ground, launching a horrified Vernis into the air. Karn raised a hand to his forehead, feigning surprise, and shouted, “Wife! Come out quickly and see God!”
Amidst the horrified expressions of the crowd, Karn leaped into the air… “Holy crap! That’s hundreds of meters! How did you jump that high?”
By the time Karn caught the girl, she had already fainted. Karn smiled at the caravan members. “Well then, I’ll take this girl. Do any of you have objections?”
Everyone shook their heads as if they had eaten something unspeakable. Karn nodded in satisfaction. “Mm~ You’re teachable! Keep it up!” With that, he cradled the girl and remounted his horse.
Seeing the others still staring nervously at him, Karn said, “Hey… don’t look at me! Just carry on, you don’t need to mind me!”
The crowd cast a pitying glance at the girl in Karn’s arms, silently prayed for 0.5 seconds, then turned their heads, pretending to have seen nothing, and resumed their journey.
Karn playfully patted Vernis’s face, a mischievous grin spreading across his lips. “So, how should I train you now~ my future little maid?”