“………………”
‘This isn’t how it was supposed to be at all…’
Leya, wearing a bewildered expression, gazed at the empty bathroom. A profound sense of loss settled deep within her.
She recalled Angela’s words just before she entered: [How wonderful! Everyone else has already finished bathing, so Miss Leya can have the entire bathroom to herself. Ah… it’s truly lovely, no more jostling around…]
Reflecting on it now…
‘What nonsense is this “How wonderful!” It’s anything but wonderful! Well… it is certainly much more spacious, but I can’t shake the feeling that…’
‘This pink-tinted scenario I imagined… oh no, I’ve completely picked up the wrong script, haven’t I? Director, do you truly have the heart to deceive an innocent and kind soul like me?’
“Ugh… my mood just plummeted like a roller coaster, whoosh—straight into gloom… Well, there’s nothing for it. I should just hurry up and wash.”
*Swish—swish—swish* The sound of rushing water.
“Hmm?” Suddenly, Leya, scrubbing her arm, froze. Her gaze fixed intently on her right arm.
“Hey, System… is it just my imagination? Why do I see a faint wisp of black energy on my right arm?”
System: “………… (Should I speak or not?)”
“It’s very faint, but this black energy… it should be the same as the black aura on those villagers and adventurers, shouldn’t it?”
Truth be told, Leya felt a pang of panic.
Fear, after all, stemmed from the unknown. It would be strange indeed to face something so bizarre and utterly unprecedented with a calm mind.
However, after a long wait, the System offered no reply. This silence began to irk Leya. (System: ‘I have something to say right now, but I dare not. Who exactly should I blame for this?’)
Left with no choice, Leya continued to rub her right arm, all the while pondering the enigma of the black energy.
Contagion was impossible. Angela had spent the entire afternoon with those sick individuals without any ill effects, yet Leya herself had merely touched Giles and supposedly become infected. This clearly defied logic.
Therefore… if contagion could be ruled out as the cause…
“Was it the Wolf King?!”
Undeniably, this was the most convincing explanation she had so far. Recalling the moment the Wolf King had attacked her so ferociously, even now, long after the event, Leya still felt a tremor of lingering fear.
“Tsk… if this is the case… I absolutely must figure out what this black energy is for!”
She stretched her right arm back and forth several times, finding no abnormalities. Finally, Leya, vexed, clenched her fist and slammed it hard against the wall.
*Bang—*
The wall, it seemed, was perfectly fine.
Leya’s hand, however, was a vivid red.
‘Oh, the pain, it’s unbearable!’
“Hoo—hoo—hoo,” Leya blew on her fingers, wincing through the pain, feeling utterly speechless and concerned about the current strength of her physical body.
Under the influence of her particularly agitated mood, Leya found herself unable to muster the usual enthusiasm for her customary ‘self-encouragement speeches’ during her bath.
And it was at this very moment…
“Miss Leya, Miss Leya? Um, it’s almost lights out, so if you could…”
Angela’s voice drifted from outside the door, bringing with it a sense of resignation.
“Oh, alright, I’ll be right out!”
****
“Sure enough, it’s the same here, isn’t it?”
Stepping out of the bathroom, Leya casually surveyed the women in the room. Most were in their twenties or thirties, with a few even appearing to be grandmothers.
They were currently dressed in nightclothes, gathered together, chatting away about everything under the sun.
Further back, four identical bunk beds were arranged in a row. It was a sight that couldn’t help but make one marvel: their practicality was truly welcome in any era!
‘What exactly was I expecting earlier? Honestly…’
Leya muttered, her voice tinged with regret, as she swiftly made her way to her own bed.
“Oh, is Miss Leya planning to sleep already?”
Angela, seeing Leya already tucked into her covers, her head completely hidden as if she were asleep, spoke with a touch of concern.
“Everyone is chatting together over there. If you don’t mind…”
“No, thank you. I refuse to act like an idiot.”
“Eh!?” Angela gasped, seemingly taken aback by such an unexpected reply.
“Uh… Miss Leya, if that’s the case, please at least uncover your head when you sleep. Otherwise, your breathing will be quite difficult!”
“Ah… You’re noisy, Angela. Why have you suddenly turned into a nagging old woman? Do you really think I could sleep with all that racket over there if I didn’t do this?”
‘Yes, that’s right. Of course, I wouldn’t say that rather than trying to fall asleep while watching a group of old women, lacking both beauty and charm, gossiping, it’s better to simply keep them out of sight and out of mind. I’ll just sleep on my own.’
Angela, naturally unaware of Leya’s inner thoughts, nodded in sudden understanding after hearing Leya’s words. “You’re… you’re right. Should I go tell them to quiet down then?”
“No, I’m fine like this. Oh, by the way, who’s on the top bunk?”
“The top bunk… that would be me. After all, we’re in the same squad…”
“Oh? It seems it’s not too bad after all…”
“Eh? What was that?”
“Nothing at all. Now, hurry up and sleep…”
With that, Leya pulled the covers tightly over her head and fell silent once more.
“Goodnight, Miss Leya…”
****
Outside the Thunder Tavern in Volantis City.
“Sigh… so, in the end, I didn’t get to see Miss Leya all day?”
Elina stood forlornly outside the tavern, shaking her head with a sigh of resignation.
‘And that strange girl… who exactly is she to Miss Leya?’
Recalling the girl who called herself Erica, Elina couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration and annoyance.
No matter how much she pleaded, the girl simply wouldn’t let her in. In the end, Elina was even treated as a [dangerous individual] by the hotel staff and politely escorted out, left to stand idly by the main entrance for an entire afternoon.
‘Ah… what a failure… Didn’t I essentially guard the hotel door? It’s a shame they didn’t even give me a single copper coin for my efforts…’
‘And by the looks of it, Miss Leya won’t be returning tonight either, will she?… Sigh, what exactly have I been doing all day?’ she mused despondently.
‘Perhaps I should just go home first…’
“Hey, have you found out? The sprite’s dwelling…”
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Elina, about to leave the tavern, narrowed her eyes, a flicker of surprise and suspicion crossing her face.
‘These two… they carry that distinct aura of martial artists. Lv2, are they?’
Well… on another note, while Elina heard them clearly, to be fair, the two men in plain clothes were actually speaking quite softly, and they were four or five meters away from her.
Her ability to hear them could truly be attributed to Elina’s innate talent!
Even though her magic meridians were shattered, preventing her from performing any martial techniques, she remained the Kingdom’s most dazzling rising star, once hailed as the ‘Rapier Master of the Night’… the strongest newcomer!
“Her name is Erica, right? Hmm, and the other woman who was with her, have you found out where she went?”
‘E… Erica!?’
The moment Elina heard that name, her body trembled involuntarily.
‘Come to think of it, wasn’t that the girl who was with Miss Leya? Although I never even saw her face, and after this afternoon, I certainly don’t have much affection for her. Whether she lives or dies, Elina doesn’t care to ask. But…’
But the phrase [the other woman who was with her] spoken by these men was something Elina could not pretend not to hear!
Because… wasn’t that referring to Miss Leya?
‘I absolutely cannot allow anyone to pose a threat to my savior!’
With that thought, Elina began to move silently, holding her breath, stealthily closing in on the two men’s position.
The latter, however, remained completely oblivious. They continued to walk arm-in-arm, chatting and laughing as they entered a rather dim and damp alleyway.
“That’s the fellow who offended Young Master Harvey, isn’t it? Speaking of which, I’m curious myself; we haven’t seen that person in days.”
“Is that so? Hahaha… no need to rush. The Young Master has already set up a vast net across the entire city. Let’s see how long she can hide. What’s more, we’ve even uncovered the hiding place of that little sprite she cares about!”
Willie, his arm around Jeff’s shoulder, spoke with clear disdain.
Having not witnessed Leya’s performance that day firsthand, he had only heard soldiers recount the Blonde Sword Princess’s incredible prowess, and frankly, Willie found it somewhat unbearable.
And it wasn’t just Willie; it could be said that the two thousand elite soldiers the Sixth Prince had secretly brought from the north all shared the same view.
‘Just a woman? Dozens of warriors couldn’t even defeat her? Haha! What a joke. I truly suspect they either had an epileptic fit that day, or their brains were clouded by her beauty, making them forget even their defensive moves.’
Their thoughts were not entirely unfounded, for the lineup the Sixth Prince had brought this time was truly formidable! Among the two thousand troops, the average strength almost reached Lv2, with over a hundred Lv3 experts holding positions!
To put it nicely, such combat power could promote friendly military exchanges between the northern and eastern provinces. To put it bluntly, it was a challenge: ‘Do you submit or not? If not, we’ll beat you to death! You Volantis only have thirty thousand pampered soldiers. Come on, bring them out for a spar. Grandpa guarantees those hundred-plus Lv3 martial artists won’t directly storm the Earl’s mansion and wipe out your entire family, you damned Earl-City Lord!’
“Haha, exactly, let’s not talk about that anymore! Oh, right, I heard Young Master Harvey and the Sixth Prince are attending a banquet at the Earl’s mansion today. How wonderful! At that level of banquet, surely all the prominent figures with names and reputations in the city will be present, right?”
“Sigh… who’s to say otherwise? People like us will probably never be qualified to enter in our entire lives!”
Willie remarked, a hint of melancholy in his voice.
Yet, the two men never noticed, from beginning to end, that in a dark corner not far behind them, a person stood watching.
She possessed long, obsidian-colored hair that cascaded like a waterfall, and her eyes gleamed with a dangerous, beast-like intensity. Her gaze, sharp as a torch, was fixed intently on their retreating backs.
She clenched her fist.