Chapter 521 - Dusk in Grosso
It was autumn in the blink of an eye.
A sea of ripe, golden wheat in the entire Grosso Plain swayed along with the breeze. Everyone would surely be moved by this picturesque view… However, there was also another meaning for Rhode.
“What a hassle…” He frowned and overlooked the ‘ocean’ from the hills.
It had been six days since Rhode left the Cloud Summit Fortress. This place was the most important foodstuff reserve base for the Reformist Party and it was Rhode’s first target. Got to say, this journey was rather simple for him. He weaved through the trails and secret paths that he was ever familiar with and arrived in this Southern hinterland.
He was able to travel quickly without leading his men, which was extremely convenient. Besides, along with his summoned spirits, nothing could threaten him with his current level 40 Master Stage and Swordsmanship that had entered the Legendary Stage. The only flaw was that the threats were too low-level for him to farm any great equipment.
However, he didn’t visit here to clear a dungeon by himself.
“Can you tell me why exactly you came here, Master?” Celestina stepped out of the forest and glared at Rhode fiercely. Her inappropriate manners towards Rhode seemed to have worsened ever since the battle with the Duke Fiend. If it weren’t for the contract between the summon spirits and the holder, perhaps she wouldn’t even look at this annoying human.
Rhode wasn’t expecting anything less from her uncooperative attitude. Even though she was an alluring and charming young lady, he refused to show her deference. Although he knew that this forced her to oppose him, he wasn’t mindful at all. Celestina appeared extremely dissatisfied, but Rhode didn’t sense any authentic hatred and malice which was rare to find in a Demon. Even though they had an agreement, a Demon’s scheming wisdom could torture the other party with a life worse than death through various means. But Celestina was different because, even though she usually shot off her mouth and was exceedingly unreasonable during missions, Rhode realized that she was still much kinder than her Demon companions in terms of machinations.
Besides, her temperament was considered really great for a Demon.
Who is she?
This question emerged in their heads. Grosso was a small town in the countryside and the women’s clothes were usually ordinary as compared to the women in the city of the Southern Port. But, this young lady, whose face was covered with dirt, was wearing a luxurious, silk black robe with velvety scarlet linings. The soldiers recognized the expensive robe and they were sure that she wasn’t a village girl. She might be a daughter of a wealthy family, but… they weren’t aware that a noble family had arrived in Grosso.
Who is that young lady?
“Miss, how are you feeling? What happened?” The Garrison Officer approached her bravely and an alluring fragrance assailed his nostrils which distracted him.
“Ah… S-Sorry… I-I was just frightened by a wild dog…” Her refreshing, mellifluous voice resounded in the soldiers’ ears and their hearts pounded fiercely. Her feminine and enticing voice excited their senses and a few of them ran towards her to give her a helping hand. “Don’t worry, Miss, we have patrolled the surroundings and there aren’t any wild dogs around. It’s really late now and it isn’t safe for you to be here alone. How about we escort you back? Can you tell us where you’re staying?”
“All of you are…”
“We are the 5th Team of the Grosso’s Patrol and I am the officer. Nothing will hurt you with us around, Miss.”
The Garrison Officer realized that she must be the daughter of a noble family and he had struck gold. If he could escort her back, maybe her family might reward him and he might even be promoted for his achievements… Furthermore, this young lady might even fall in love with him. Although they had different identities, it was still possible just like in the folk legend…
For unknown reasons, the Garrison Officer felt an unprecedented emotional attraction for her and he couldn’t wait to half-kneel and give his sword as a present. As long as she could look at him once, he would die a happy man… The rich, heavy fragrance assailed his nose once again and he couldn’t think calmly anymore.
“Miss… Please get up. It is very dangerous to stay out here in the late night. Please be assured that we will escort you home…” A soldier extended his hand and just as he was only inches away, a black thorny vine struck from behind her back and wrapped his wrist tightly. “Don’t touch me, lowly human.”
She lifted her head and her scarlet pupils twinkled in faint, red radiance. The soldiers stepped back fearfully and countless thorny vines shot out from her sleeves and wrapped them entirely. These soldiers were below level 20 and they couldn’t resist her attack at all.
“Argh…!”
The razor-sharp barbs sliced deep into their flesh through their thin clothes and the soldiers yowled in excruciating pain. She snapped her fingers and the thorny vines drilled into their mouths to silence their blood-curdling screeches immediately. The forest restored its serenity in the blink of an eye.
Celestina stood on her feet and patted off the filthy dust with a handkerchief elegantly. She strode forward gracefully as though she was attending a dinner party and swept a disdainfully glance at the soldiers wrapped at her thorny whips.
“Lowly, shameful, ugly humans. Who allowed you to talk to me in this manner and touch me with your filthy hand!” Celestina leered with her red, glistening eyes and lashed one of the pitiful soldiers heavily as she yelled. The unlucky soldier twitched in her agonizing torture and breathed weakly. Celestina let out a snort and in a split second, the soldier trembled intensely and the thorny whip punctured from inside his chest! His heart had been pierced by the keen barbed and it continued to pump instinctively with blood gushing down his legs.
“Lowly human!” Celestina swung her arm and the thorny whip wrapped around his heart. Pop! His heart crushed completely and his bloody corpse flung to the side, collapsing like a tattered doll.
“As for the rest of you foolish, inferior creatures…” Celestina revealed a proud and joyful murderous intent. “Scream as much as you’d like to satisfy my amusement… Slaves.”