Volume 3, Chapter 6 – Renee

After dealing with the bandits at lightning speed, Fia glanced at the women and children who had been pursued. Although most of them were disheveled, they had only suffered minor scrapes because they had escaped in time.

Anastasia will assist them in a moment. For now, I’ll head into the village.

The bandits Fia had dealt with were only a fraction of the total. More of them were in the village, from which thick smoke was billowing. However, compared to the cries and screams outside, the inside of the village was filled only with the sounds of bandits breaking down doors and overturning tables and chairs.

[Wind of Exploration] indicated that the bandits here were mostly between the First and Third Ranks. For bandits, their strength was a bit excessive; a Third Rank individual could easily secure a decent position in the army.

First, deal with the bandits, then put out the fires in the village.

Having made her decision, Fia arrived in the village’s central square in the blink of an eye. Here, valuables looted by the bandits were piled up. Besides coins, there were gold and silver jewelry, tied-up men, and some rather comely women. Around them were a dozen or so fierce-looking, sturdy bandits. This group’s equipment was several times better than that of the bandits outside; Fia even caught a glimpse of a magic weapon at the waist of a man who looked like the leader.

It was worth noting that outside the circle formed by the bandits, there were two mysterious figures completely shrouded in black robes. Compared to the bandits’ crude attire, the black-robed figures standing silently behind them were much more civilized, and their strength far surpassed that of the bandits. They were Third Rank powerhouses, as indicated by [Wind of Exploration].

“I-I’ve given you all my money! Why won’t you let me go!”

A tied-up woman shouted in panic. In front of her was a short, lecherous-looking man, who was fondling the woman’s chest while grinning sinisterly.

“Hehe, isn’t there still something valuable here?”

“I’ve already given you everything! Where else would there be anything of value!”

“Aren’t you valuable yourself? A good-looking and well-endowed woman can fetch a good price. And the men here, too. Sold as slaves to the mines, each one is worth several gold coins!”

“You lied to me!”

The short bandit’s words made the woman’s eyes widen in an instant. The male villagers tied up around her wore expressions of despair. Being a slave in the mines meant they would be worked to death in no time.

“Of course I did, hahaha! Before we let you go, let us brothers have some fun!”

The short bandit began to undo his belt, but the two mysterious figures in black robes stepped forward. One grabbed the short bandit’s hand, stopping his action, while the other walked straight towards a woman in the crowd who was covered in injuries, sitting in the square with her head lowered.

When the black-robed man pinched the woman’s face, forcing her to look up, Fia’s eyes widened slightly.

This woman, dressed as a knight, was not human, but an elf. Although she was covered in blood and mud from battle, and her armor was corroded in many places, it was still possible to see that she was a young elf, only slightly older than Anastasia.

“You killed two of our companions. We finally caught you.”

“Guh… Kill me.”

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“Hmph, that would be too easy for you. We caught you to make you serve us.”

“In your dreams!”

“Once you meet that lord, it won’t be up to you. As for now, let’s make you suffer a little first!”

As he spoke, the man took out a thin steel needle. He deliberately slowed his movements, making the elf knight watch as the needle approached her eyeball.

However, before it could, the needle was snatched away by a sudden force. Then, its tip turned around and plunged into a certain area between the man’s legs.

“Argh!!”

The man immediately clutched his crotch and screamed in agony. The other bandits, including the other black-robed man, who had been watching with amusement, instantly became tense and looked around for the attacker. Some of the smarter ones quickly ran towards the tied-up villagers, attempting to take them hostage.

Fia would naturally not give them the chance.

The Spatial Hand forcibly broke the weapons in the bandits’ hands. Then came a sweeping block of spatial force, like a battering ram. The immense power was transmitted through the bandits’ bodies, and all of them were sent flying as if hit by a truck.

No one escaped, including the two Third Rank black-robed men. Some of the weaker bandits were knocked out instantly, while the two in black robes scrambled to their feet, trying to pull something from their pockets.

“Ugh! It’s an ambush, quickly notify the boss!”

Boss?

At first, Fia thought they were going to use something like a teleportation or summoning spell to bring their leader over, so she deliberately waited a moment, intending to deal with the leader as well. However, the magic scroll the two black-robed men tore open merely launched a red flare into the sky; it wasn’t the teleportation magic Fia had expected at all.

If the signal got out, the village would surely suffer later. So, before the flare could ascend, Fia used [Torrent] to douse it and shoot it down.

As for the two black-robed men who watched the flare fall powerlessly, their faces filled with astonishment, Fia knocked them out with [Mental Shock]. Similarly, the other bandits did not escape the fate of being knocked unconscious. They should be grateful for their treatment compared to their comrades outside who had been turned into idiots.

The rest was simple.

Fia first caught all the bandits who had noticed something was wrong and tried to escape, then used [Torrent] to extinguish the flames on the houses. Finally, she brought the exhausted women from outside the village back. Only after doing all this did Fia return to the square.

Since Fia had been using the Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea to blend in with the environment throughout the entire process, to the villagers, it all seemed like the work of a deity. Some of the tied-up people were closing their eyes, murmuring prayers with faces full of gratitude.

Hmm…

In any case, she should free the villagers first. And that elf knight had also piqued her interest.

After a brief thought, Fia landed on the ground and dispelled the Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea’s camouflage.

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Fia, in a black formal dress, suddenly appeared before the villagers. But her sudden appearance did not frighten them; instead, it made their jaws drop, their expressions stunned.

Because Fia had not dispelled the wings of light from her [Flight] magic, the golden, six-petaled wings, combined with her naturally cascading black hair tied into pigtails over her shoulders, her ruby eyes that held a hint of majesty, and her flawless, exquisite face, all came together to make Fia look like a goddess descended upon the mortal world.

Feeling a little embarrassed by the villagers’ dazed expressions, Fia hesitated for a moment before composing herself. Anastasia had said they were very close to Silvar; she should adopt an attitude befitting an elf princess.

Fia put on a blank expression and walked step by step towards the tied-up villagers. Without any exchange, she formed her Spatial Hand into a blade and quickly cut the ropes on the villagers. Then, making her tone devoid of emotional inflection, she announced coldly.

“You are safe.”

“G-goddess…”

Although I did save your lives, calling me a goddess is a bit of an exaggeration. And what’s with the others nodding in agreement?

Fia had a feeling that if she said something that sounded like what a goddess would say, this group of people might kneel down and worship her.

Scoffing inwardly, Fia continued to speak coldly.

“Who is in charge here? Tell me what happened. The rest of you, go back to your homes and assess the damage. And find some men to tie up the bandits.”

“I am!”

A man with dark skin but neat clothes stood up. From the way he repeatedly bowed and dared not look directly at Fia, it was clear he placed himself in a very humble position.

Under the introduction of the man who called himself the village chief, who was overly enthusiastic, Fia quickly grasped the situation.

This was an ordinary village on the northern border of the Alfrieg Kingdom. The bandits had appeared about five to fifteen minutes ago. The whole process was no different from a typical raid: the bandits first used violence to herd the villagers into the square, then interrogated them one by one about where they had hidden their valuables.

As for the elf knight, she was not a villager. She had already been with the bandits before they attacked the village; her appearance in the square was merely incidental.

Because the villagers offered almost no resistance and cooperated fully with the bandits, no one was killed. The most severe damage was to the houses and furniture that were burned down. People only suffered sprains and minor injuries, which Fia easily healed with a little [Beginner Water Healing]. At this moment, the women were quietly weeping over their near-death experience and the destruction of their homes, while the men vented their anger on the tied-up bandits, punching and kicking them, or picking up stones to throw at them.

It was worth noting that when Fia expressed that she was not a goddess, the villagers stopped their violent acts against the bandits. The reason was that according to the laws of the Alfrieg Kingdom, whoever subdued a bandit legally became the owner of that bandit. Upon reaching a city, Fia could take the bandits to a slave trader and register them as slaves. Nobles aside, if the villagers harmed the bandits, it would be equivalent to damaging someone else’s property, and they would have to pay compensation.

Of course, if Fia found it too troublesome and didn’t want the bandits as her slaves, she could hand them over to the officials and receive a bounty. However, the northern border of the Alfrieg Kingdom was exceptionally chaotic. Even if the bandits were handed over to the officials, most of the bounty would be skimmed off. It was more profitable to sell them as slaves. Therefore, the fate of bandits was usually to dig in the mines or to act as walking bait to lure monsters in monster-infested forests.

Finding it too much trouble, Fia wanted to hand the bandits over to the villagers and let them take the bandits to the city to collect the bounty. But the villagers, afraid that the bandits would resist, break free, and retaliate against them, hastily declined Fia’s proposal. Not only that, they also requested that if Fia passed by a nearby city, she would inform the city’s administrator that the bandits on the nearby mountain had been subdued, so the city lord could send people to wipe out the remaining forces in the bandits’ lair.

Since the Alfrieg Kingdom also had a law stating “whoever eliminates the bandits owns their treasure,” cleaning out a bandit’s lair was a lucrative task. The villagers hinted that Fia could go and plunder it herself.

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Although she wasn’t interested in the bandits’ treasure, they had been subdued while attacking the village. To prevent the villagers from being retaliated against, it would be better to check the bandits’ lair at night—perhaps she could also take some valuable items to give to the villagers so they could repair their destroyed houses.

When Fia regrouped with Anastasia, who had arrived later, and saw that there was no one else around, the elf knight she had saved finally approached her.

Interestingly, although this elf knight had come to thank Fia, her expression seemed rather reluctant. Due to extreme weakness, she walked with a limp. She knelt on one knee, lowered her head, and said in a deep voice.

“Thank you, Your Highness, the First Princess, for your assistance… Renee is eternally grateful.”

Her Highness, the First Princess? Does this elf knight know me?

Fia was startled.

However, the first to respond was not Fia, but Anastasia behind her. She frowned, her face unfriendly as she asked.

“Renee? Why are you here?”

“I… was ordered by His Majesty to investigate the situation in the northern territory of the Alfrieg Kingdom.”

“Oh?”

Anastasia let out a sound filled with frivolity and doubt, but Renee just lowered her head, which was stained with blood and mud, even further, offering no more answers.

“Renee is the vice-captain of the Fifth Division of the Royal Guard. She’s one of Prince Schain’s people and has always been at odds with Sister Ana,” Liti whispered in Fia’s ear. “She’s from the faction that opposes you, sister.”

I see.

Fia immediately understood the reason for the other’s reluctance to thank her, and why Anastasia was showing such a rare attitude of disgust.

“Investigating the situation in the northern territory of the Alfrieg Kingdom? For what reason?”

Faced with Anastasia’s questioning, the elf knight kneeling on one knee replied calmly.

“This matter is top secret. Captain Anastasia, you have no authority to know.”

“You are standing before Princess Fia. Watch your attitude, Renee.”

At the mention of Fia, Renee faltered for a moment. She corrected herself.

“…As far as I know, Her Highness, the First Princess, should be fighting in the Milcandis Holy Kingdom, further north. Why would she appear in the Alfrieg Kingdom, and with Her Highness, the Third Princess, at that? Where are the other guards?”

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“Are you questioning our identity?”

“It is merely a reasonable question.”

“Is this enough?”

With a cold snort, Anastasia dangled a crimson-gold insignia tied with a cord in front of Renee. It was the symbol of her status as the captain of the Second Division of the Royal Guard.

“It is enough. But the matter ordered by His Majesty, I can only report to Her Highness, the First Princess, who is the Crown Princess.”

“If sister knows, Sister Ana will know too,” Liti added from the side.

But Renee remained stubborn.

“If Her Highness, the First Princess, tells Captain Anastasia, that is her own affair. The order I received stated that this matter is top secret. Only His Majesty, the Crown Princess, and the Prime Minister are qualified to know.”

What a tough nut to crack.

Fia couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

As a quasi-Fifth Rank powerhouse, even with the sinner’s mark, Anastasia still exuded immense pressure when she was serious. Yet, Renee handled it with ease, not at all afraid of her.

A pity she’s from an opposing faction.

Of course, even if they were from opposing factions, the necessary courtesies had to be observed. Fia took her own cloak from her storage backpack and draped it over Renee. Renee’s armor was broken in many places, leaving her back, shoulders, and waist almost completely exposed. For a woman, too much skin was showing.

“Renee, go and wash off first. You can tell me about this top-secret matter later.”

“Uh…?”

Renee, who had kept her head down all this time, looked up for the first time, her battered face filled with astonishment.

Liti urged from the side.

“What are you standing there for? Are you not going to accept sister’s kindness?”

“No… It’s just that Her Highness’s actions… I understand. I will go and change now.”

With some stiffness, Renee grasped the cloak Fia had placed on her, stood up, bowed to Fia and Liti respectively, and then turned to walk towards the well in the center of the square.