Volume 6, Chapter 29 – The Glowing Fire Cat

“Thank you for your help!”

“Wait, why is it an elf woman!”

“Get out of the way! You’re no match for this bastard!”

Seeing Erin Slate, dressed like a noble young lady, blocking the kidnapper’s path, the beastmen who had been left far behind shouted urgently. Just as they said, the Darkborn wearing a black hood was three meters tall, with an exceptionally strong physique, like a giant bear running upright. Beastmen who tried to block his path were knocked back several steps just by being grazed, and these were beastmen known for their physical strength. If it were a delicate-skinned elf, a direct collision would likely result in lifelong disability, even if she survived.

However, that was only a general theory. Erin Slate drew her cross-sword but didn’t deign to use swordsmanship. She merely used the sword as a magic staff, chanting a spell in a low voice.

“— [Nature’s Bastion].”

The chant was fleeting. Accompanied by the sound of twisting viscous matter, the yellowish-brown ground cracked open instantly. Then, a mass of wriggling, large plants lay across the path between Erin Slate and the Darkborn. The thinnest vines were as thick as an adult’s thigh, and the whole mass was comparable to a row of houses. Amidst the exclamations of countless beastmen, the entire street was blocked completely.

Although it wasn’t chantless, casting a third-rank spell in just one or two seconds showed that Erin Slate’s strength couldn’t be judged by rank alone.

Fia, observing from the side, commented quietly.

Fortunately, the beastman streets aren’t paved with stone bricks, or the flying debris might have hurt pedestrians.

“She’s actually a magic caster!”

“That was a huge help!”

Sounds of gratitude from the beastmen came from the other side of the vine wall. However, before the thanks could fade, new roars of unwillingness arose.

“Hey! He’s flying!”

“Wings! That guy is a Darkborn!”

“Quickly notify the warriors at the Hunting Grounds! Better yet, ask Lord Wandering Knight to come!”

Just as the soldiers shouted, because the road was blocked, the Darkborn in the black hood directly spread his bat wings, tearing his clothes, and soared straight into the sky. The remaining beastmen, lacking the ability to fly, could only stop and fret helplessly. Some agile cat-people tried to jump onto nearby rooftops to drag the Darkborn down while he was still close to the ground, but the Darkborn’s flight speed was quite fast. With just two or three flaps of his wings, he was already twenty meters off the ground.

At the same time, the Water Cat Tribe little girl on the Darkborn’s shoulder woke up. The spinning vision made her scream, and her crying made the already anxious cat-people even more frantic.

Although their intelligence isn’t great, their strength is no joke.

Looking up at the sky, Erin Slate’s golden pupils contracted due to the strong sunlight, her gaze sharpening. The number of Darkborn who had died by her hand was very close to a thousand, if not already there. Darkborn with wings were mostly demons, and demons sent on missions were often those with considerable personal strength. Just looking at the size of his wings, she knew he should be a second or third-rank demon.

His position is likely higher than the Darkborn captured by Renee.

The Sovereign is active in southern Cold Night. This demon must be captured alive.

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Making a decision in her heart, Erin Slate locked onto the demon. Pouring her body’s strength into her calves, accompanied by an explosive sound from the ground, she shot toward the Darkborn like an arrow leaving the string, her cross-sword aimed straight at his wings.

However, to Erin Slate’s surprise, this Darkborn’s reaction speed was extraordinarily fast. Before Erin Slate could reach him, as if sensing the gap in strength between himself and Erin Slate, the Darkborn turned without hesitation and threw the Water Cat Tribe little girl downward. If Erin Slate insisted on chasing the Darkborn, the Water Cat girl would be the first victim.

If she were acting as a member of Twilight Flower, ignoring the life of this Water Cat girl wouldn’t matter; catching the Darkborn was more important. However, she was now acting as the Eldest Princess’s guard, so she couldn’t take actions that would damage her master’s reputation.

“Tch!”

Clicking her tongue heavily, Erin Slate withdrew the force in her hand.

Until the next second.

A strong sense of crisis came from the right side of her body. Before Erin Slate could even see the opponent, she could already feel the blazing heat and terrifying wind pressure rushing toward her.

A sneak attack.

I must go all out.

Her eyes sharpened instantly. The attack aimed at her body forced Erin Slate to turn mid-air. In an instant, she poured a large amount of magic power into her blade. A black [Enchanted Blade] condensed rapidly, and Erin Slate’s whole body was shrouded in a visible dark purple flowing light. Two successive pitch-black magic circles even appeared beneath her feet. If Erin Slate changed into her usual black formal dress, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to mistake her for a demon right now—Erin Slate specialized in dark magic, which was considered taboo.

As for Erin Slate’s opponent, the Flame Greatsword that dyed the surrounding sky crimson finally arrived in front of her.

Dark purple and crimson collided fiercely.

A brain-rattling concussion rang out. The strong wind generated by the collision forced people to close their eyes tight. Some physically weaker beastmen were even blown off balance and had to crawl on the ground. Especially the large plant below Erin Slate—as the life form closest to the point of impact, its vines took massive damage. As if bombarded by cannon fire, the entire upper half vanished completely, leaving behind chilling, jagged, charred breaks.

“Tch, an accomplice.”

“Daring to appear in broad daylight in the city I protect—”

Erin Slate and Nola’s voices rang out one after another. When the smoke from the explosion dissipated, the two, who had already put some distance between them, finally saw each other’s faces clearly.

Then, both froze simultaneously. Especially Nola, who realized her mistake first. Holding the Water Cat girl with one arm, her expression filled with visible embarrassment. She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but Erin Slate had no interest in wasting words with her. The Darkborn had already taken advantage of Nola’s delay to fly far away; she had to catch up quickly.

Fortunately, Erin Slate wasn’t the only one here. Before the Darkborn could fly far, an ice bullet tearing through the sky—or more accurately, a small iceberg—smashed toward the Darkborn from a distance. Although the Darkborn tried to shatter the iceberg, an iceberg five meters in diameter wasn’t something he could shake. Especially since the iceberg itself carried huge kinetic energy. The moment his weapon stabbed into the iceberg, it made intimate contact with him like swatting a fly. Finally, the iceberg carried him flying into the distance.

This was, of course, Fia’s masterpiece.

“Apologies, Your Highness. I let you see a joke. Please allow me to chase that Darkborn.”

Without even looking at Nola, Erin Slate landed in front of Fia and knelt on one knee as if confessing a crime. Twilight Flower was an organization that only cared about results. Even if the problem lay with Nola’s sudden attack, it couldn’t change the fact that she had volunteered but failed to catch the Darkborn. This was negligence.

“Permission granted. I’ll handle Nola’s side. You aren’t hurt, are you?”

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“No. Beastmen truly live up to their reputation as a simple-minded race.” Erin Slate’s words were full of dissatisfaction with Nola. “Please forgive your subordinate for being unable to accompany you temporarily.”

Leaving these words, Erin Slate left directly using flight magic. For someone who usually maintained an elegant smile, her expressionless profile already explained a lot. If Nola were a member of Twilight Flower, she would have definitely been severely punished by Erin Slate already.

Fia could roughly guess Nola’s thoughts. Nola definitely mistook Erin Slate for a Darkborn—Erin Slate’s attire and magic were very demon-like, and she happened to change clothes today—so she attacked Erin Slate. However, this didn’t change the fact that Nola was reckless.

Really worrying. No wonder Claire only treats Nola as a child.

“Releasing an iceberg with a wave of her hand, what kind of magic is that…”

“That green-haired elf just now knelt before her.”

“Black hair and red eyes, an elf looking exactly like the Eldest Princess of the Silvar Kingdom. Is she an admirer of the Eldest Princess? But with this strength, plus the rumors of the Eldest Princess defeating Chazo before, could it be the real Eldest Princess?”

“The Acting Clan Chief went over! It must be the Elf Eldest Princess!”

“But why did the Clan Chief attack that green-haired elf just now…”

Seeing Nola float toward Fia holding the Water Cat little girl, the discussion of the passersby instantly grew louder. Everyone knew that the Eldest Princess had helped the Fire Cat Tribe repel invaders and capture Chazo alive. Moreover, the elf army was currently advancing toward the capital of Cold Night to wipe out Chazo’s remnants. The meeting of the leaders of both sides made it hard not to be curious about what they would say.

As for the protagonist who caused the commotion, Nola, dressed in a pure white formal dress, had a tense expression, not knowing what to say to Fia. If she hadn’t known Erin Slate from the start, this misunderstanding could be explained as mistaking Erin Slate for a Darkborn. But she had been a maid in Blossom and attended the ceremony of distributing Holy Tree branches with Erin Slate. Using the excuse of mistaken identity at this point was inevitably unjustifiable—she indeed saw Erin Slate as a Darkborn trying to harm the Water Cat girl, but saying the truth would make her seem too stupid, even though the truth was that she was too stupid.

I could practically find a crack in the ground to bury myself in.

If Erin Slate weren’t a Sword Saint with considerable strength, she would definitely have been injured by my strike.

The more she thought about it, the more Nola couldn’t lift her head. But because her clansmen who worshipped her were around, she couldn’t directly bow her head and admit her mistake. The complex and embarrassing situation made her hesitate for a long time before thinking of a solution.

She first put down the quiet Water Cat girl who was looking at her curiously, then scanned the onlookers with a majestic gaze, pointing to a few capable-looking male cat-people.

“You few, send her home, then go to the Hunting Grounds to receive a reward. The rest of you, go do your own things; you aren’t needed here.”

“Yes! Clan Chief!”

It was clear Nola had considerable prestige in the Fire Cat Tribe. The nearby crowd quickly dispersed under Nola’s order. Even if they still cast curious glances from time to time, they only dared to peek secretly. Soon, an open space with only Fia and Nola appeared in the street. Beside it was the deep pit left by the compression of [Nature’s Bastion]. Some beastmen had already brought wooden planks from somewhere to bridge the pit, facilitating pedestrian passage.

“Er…”

Her face full of exotic charm filled with embarrassment, Nola looked away guiltily. She opened her mouth, clearly wanting to say sorry. Fia hurriedly raised both hands between them, signaling Nola to stop.

“Don’t apologize to me. Erin Slate is the one who deserves the apology. You’d better be mentally prepared. The smile completely disappeared from Erin Slate’s face just now; she’s definitely very unhappy.”

“I-It was indeed my fault for attacking without identifying the person… I will properly ask for Miss Erin Slate’s forgiveness… Should I buy some things she likes as a gift of apology?”

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“You can try, but I don’t know what Erin Slate likes. Anastasia might know; they’ve known each other longer than I’ve been alive.”

Because of Nola’s tense, extremely nervous expression, Fia couldn’t help but find it funny. She took a step forward and patted Nola’s shoulder.

“Although it was your fault, fortunately, Erin Slate wasn’t hurt. Don’t look so bitter; people are still watching. Don’t you live in the Hunting Grounds? Why did you suddenly run outside?”

“We agreed to go to Brinkat City today; I naturally had to make some preparations.” Nola still couldn’t let it go. “I want to go chase Miss Erin Slate first. I can’t eat or sleep in peace without obtaining Miss Erin Slate’s forgiveness for attacking her as a Darkborn.”

“You’d better wait until Erin Slate cools down before finding her, or you’ll definitely suffer the consequences.”

Asking for forgiveness when the other party was in a fit of anger would either make the angry person unable to save face or result in severe punishment. Erin Slate usually lived wearing a mask; in reality, she was quite difficult to deal with. Nola definitely underestimated Erin Slate’s strictness, treating her as a gentle woman like Anastasia.

However, Nola was extremely stubborn, saying with a determined expression.

“It is only right to be punished for doing something wrong. I was too irrational today. No matter how Miss Erin Slate punishes me, I will accept it willingly. If that hadn’t been Miss Erin Slate but someone else, I would have definitely caused a disaster.”

“Are you a masochist?”

As she spoke, Fia pulled Nola toward the Hunting Grounds. Nola had always been a powerful and majestic figure in the minds of her clansmen; she couldn’t let her clansmen see her embarrassing side. As for the disaster she mentioned, with Fia present, it was impossible. Fia only refrained from intervening after confirming Erin Slate wouldn’t be hurt.

She deliberately adopted an indifferent tone.

“I’m just advising you as a friend. Right now, rather than seeking Erin Slate’s forgiveness, you’re more like seeking your own peace of mind. This isn’t the attitude for apologizing. First go ask Anastasia what Erin Slate likes, then find those things and present them to Erin Slate as an apology. That is apologizing.”

“…”

Nola bit her lip. Being dense didn’t mean she couldn’t distinguish right from wrong. She knew what Fia said was true. She hesitated for a long time before answering reluctantly.

“You’re right. Better find Anastasia first…”

“As long as you know.”

“But when did I say you were my friend?” The words seemed unkind, but the tone was more like sulking than dislike. “We are romantic rivals.”

“Yes, yes, romantic rivals. Still stubborn even now; as expected of you.”

Fia crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at the fire cat beside her. Unlike usual, Nola was wearing a pure white formal dress today, obviously carefully dressed up. Her whole person was exceptionally charming, as if glowing, so much so that Fia couldn’t help but take a few more looks. There was even a faint sweet scent drifting from her, as if she had become exceptionally delicious.

Not only that, although Nola’s emotion was guilt, her tail was in high spirits, perking straight up. On Tilulu, the tail would only perk up like this when Fia let Tilulu sit on her lap or patted Tilulu’s head.

The performance was truly unusual.

“What’s wrong with you today? Suddenly changing into such an outfit.”

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“Outfit?” Being mentioned about the embarrassing part, Nola’s voice suddenly pitched higher. She curled her lips, pretending to be calm as she defended herself. “I’m a girl who loves beauty too; why can’t I wear a dress?”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t wear a dress. I’m just curious why you suddenly changed your style.” Fia leaned closer to Nola, lifting the silk at Nola’s shoulder to sniff. “And there’s a sweet smell on you, like you just ran out of a honey pot.”

“Wh… what are you doing?”

Fia’s sniffing action made Nola blush. She hurriedly snatched the clothes at her shoulder back from Fia’s hand. Being told she had a smell, shame was only natural.

“How come I don’t smell any sweet scent?”

“A person can’t smell their own scent. If you don’t believe me, ask Claire yourself when we get to the Hunting Grounds.”

Hearing Claire’s name, Nola couldn’t help but believe Fia’s words for a moment. Before getting up, she had that nightmare and must have been covered in sweat. Yet she didn’t have the habit of bathing in the morning. Maybe she really had a smell she couldn’t detect, or maybe her nose had become accustomed to her own stink.

There was more hesitation in her movements.

Should I go back to my room and take a bath first? If the people around me, especially Claire, discover I have a strange smell and leave an impression of poor personal hygiene, I will really have no place to hide my face.

However, what Nola didn’t know was that in Fia’s eyes, the smell on Nola wasn’t a strange smell at all. It could even be said to be a very attractive, sweet fragrance with a slight intoxicating effect. Therefore, Fia completely didn’t expect Nola to care about the smell so much. She sighed to herself and brought the topic back on track.

“Leaving those things aside for now, we’re going to Brinkat soon. There are some things I have to tell you in advance. You saw it when we went to the Weeping Mountains before; the number of monsters in the mountains is countless. If they really all rush out of the forest, even with the magic casters sent by the Silvar Kingdom to help defend, the city might hold, but the surrounding villages will definitely suffer. So I suggest it’s best to take the initiative, set traps, and gather the people from the villages into the city.”

Hearing serious business, Nola came back to her senses. She frowned slightly.

“You want us to go deep into the Weeping Mountains? Ordinary soldiers entering there will be on a one-way trip. We can’t adopt this strategy.”

“No, no. I mean, we can use other means to attack the monsters in the mountains, like using large-scale magic for killing.”

“You mean setting fire to the Weeping Mountains? Hmm—if things really develop to that stage, it can be considered.”

No, no. I mean, when things develop to a last resort, I’ll just use orbital bombardment to blow that place up. Cold Night is territory co-ruled by Tilulu and me; there’s no reason to hold back.

But seeing Nola’s thoughtful look, Fia didn’t say it directly. The Goddess gave Nola hope of a possible return in the future. Destroying the Goddess’s habitat now… Nola would definitely refuse no matter what.

Then I’ll just use [Spatial Rift] to create a quarantine zone between the Weeping Mountains and the city first.

Thinking this, Fia moved forward silently while quietly observing Nola, who was much more charming than a few days ago—this girl was really glowing all over, becoming much cuter and prettier, blooming with a unique feminine allure.