Volume 1, Chapter 48

Because many officers and soldiers needed to be stationed within Fort Garros year-round, many of them had brought their families into the fortress. Over time, the rear of the fortress had transformed into a living area similar to a town, albeit on a smaller scale.

In recent days, due to the influence of the celestial and terrestrial anomalies within Deepwinter Forest, many soldiers, fearing an attack by Abyssal Demons, had already evacuated their families to the rear on a large scale.

However, the retreat was not yet complete.

A small number of ordinary people with little combat capability still remained within the fortress.

When news arrived that the front of the fortress had been attacked by Abyssal Demons, these civilians began urgently packing their bags, preparing to flee! Meanwhile, another part of the population, possessing a more rugged and fierce disposition, began to arm themselves, preparing to fight alongside their soldier relatives!

“What the hell are Abyssal Demons!”

“Screw ’em!”

While everyone was in a state of frantic activity, Mengxi, Garona, and the other knights of the Ashurmos Church slowly walked into the rear area.

These knights, dressed in silver armor and white trench coats, immediately drew the attention of many residents. After all, the Snownight Empire did not worship the Goddess; most of the people within the fortress were seeing knights of the Ashurmos Church for the first time, and their hearts were filled with curiosity.

While sizing up these knights, everyone’s gaze inadvertently converged on the silver-haired girl leading them.

Though they could not catch a glimpse of her face, her slender and graceful figure satisfied the visual desires of many, and her white mask added a touch of mystery. At the same time, the ragged, pink-haired girl the silver-haired girl held in her arms also attracted a great deal of attention.

After seeing the numerical tattoo on the child’s ankle, it was not difficult to guess her status as a slave.

The rumored noble knights of the Ashurmos Church paired with a lowly slave girl was truly an eye-catching topic.

Feeling those countless gazes projected toward her, Mengxi remained indifferent, even revealing a hint of disdain.

To her, such stares had long been a part of daily life. Moreover, she was currently wearing a mask; if she weren’t, those gazes would undoubtedly be even more piercing and uncomfortable.

However, while Mengxi didn’t care, that didn’t mean Yumo, transformed into a little pink-haired girl, didn’t care!

Seriously! What are you looking at? Is there something worth seeing?

For a shut-in who had stayed indoors in Deepwinter Forest for over five hundred years, being suddenly locked onto by so many gazes made her extremely uncomfortable! Not to mention, she was currently being held in someone else’s arms!

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Under the watchful eyes of the public, she, a “grown man,” was being carried in a princess carry by a young woman?!

What kind of ridiculous shame play was this!

This was way too embarrassing!

Yumo couldn’t help but complain internally, her grime-streaked little face inadvertently showing a sulky expression due to the shame.

No!

This won’t do! I can’t keep being carried like this!

Thinking of this, Yumo looked up “timidly”, speaking to the silver-haired girl in a pleading tone:

“U-um… could you, could you put me down? I can walk by myself…”

We’re inside the fortress now and temporarily safe; she should be able to let me down, right?

Yumo thought so.

However, after hearing Yumo’s plea, Mengxi unexpectedly shook her head in refusal.

Huh??

This left Yumo a bit dazed.

“W-why?”

“Because the ground is covered in snow. Don’t forget, your shoes fell off during the explosion earlier. If I put you down now, it will worsen your frostbite.”

“Uh, this…”

Hearing this, Yumo used her peripheral vision to glance at her legs.

Uh.

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Those old, worn-out cloth shoes really were gone. If it weren’t for the white cloth Mengxi had specifically wrapped around them, her bare little feet would be exposed to the biting cold wind…

Although she usually walked barefoot in the Deepwinter Forest, after all, that level of temperature couldn’t hurt her at all, right now, her identity was that of a fragile slave girl. It really didn’t seem appropriate for her to be walking on the snow.

Ah, well.

But she didn’t want to continue being carried by the female lead like this?!

“I-I’m fine. I can, I can walk.”

However, Yumo’s request was once again dismissed by Mengxi as her trying to act tough. Unsurprisingly, Mengxi shook her head decisively.

“It won’t do, little sister. Don’t push yourself.”

“Uh, but…”

“No means no.”

“Uu…”

“Sigh, if you really want to walk on your own, I’ll let you do it after your frostbite is treated and you get a pair of shoes, okay?”

Mengxi seemed to be using a tone one would use to coax a child.

It left Yumo speechless.

However, after seeing the determination in Mengxi’s eyes, Yumo realized that wanting the other party to put her down was probably just a pipe dream. There was no way to resist now; who told her that her current character setting was a fragile girl?

Sigh.

If I had known, I would have chosen a different role…

Yumo pouted her little mouth somewhat gloomily and nodded very reluctantly, seemingly agreeing to Mengxi’s proposal.

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In response, Mengxi, who had caught all of Yumo’s little expressions, couldn’t help but smile faintly.

This girl is quite cute…

Seeing that the pink-haired girl was no longer demanding to walk on her own, Mengxi turned her gaze forward and began to look for the location of the medical clinic according to the information given by the female adjutant.

And just as Mengxi began her search, a man dressed in a black robe hidden among the crowd was watching the silver-haired girl thoughtfully. After observing for a moment, a cold intent to kill suddenly surfaced within the man’s dark green eyes.

A chilling smile appeared on his face.

Wearing a mask, silver-haired woman…

She must be that Chosen Maiden the Ashurmos Church recently sent to the Northern Frontier, right?

Hehe~

Meanwhile, on a hillside outside the eastern borders of the Deepwinter Forest, the white-haired, beast-eared maiden in an elegant blue and white dress, Li Mo, stood on the hillside in extreme anxiety, gazing solemnly at Fort Garros in the distance as it was besieged by swarms of Abyssal Demons!

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it… what on earth should I do now!!”

The wolf girl let out bursts of hysterical roars.

Her hands pressed tightly against her head, and her teeth ground together, producing sharp, hissing sounds.

Clearly, Li Mo was in a state of extreme irritability and conflict.

The reason was simple.

A few days ago, when Saibok came to the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, he had brought them detailed information regarding the Chosen Son and the Chosen Maiden. After watching those Ashurmos knights flee for a long while, Li Mo suddenly realized something.

Silver-white holy magic, a masked silver-haired woman, and that aura she found utterly loathsome?! Wasn’t this exactly the same as the Chosen Maiden Saibok had described?!

Although her reaction was a bit slow, Li Mo had finally guessed Mengxi’s identity.

Because of this, her heart began to grow increasingly anxious.

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Mother is actually with the female lead?? N-no, that won’t do!!

The female lead could hurt Mother. She couldn’t let Mother stay with her; Mother would be in danger.

And besides, was she trying to take Mother away?

Take her away? Absolutely not!!

She had to- she had to stop her. She couldn’t let Mother go to the Church!

But Mother told her not to act. Acting without permission would definitely make Mother unhappy!

What to do, what to do?! What should she do!!

…

…

No! So what if Mother is unhappy? As long as she could eliminate the Chosen Maiden, even if she took a beating from Mother, it would be worth it! The Chosen Maiden? The female lead?

She must die, must die, must die!!

An existence like that, which might hurt Mother, must be destroyed!!

At that moment, Li Mo made her decision.

As the wolf girl made up her mind, a red light laced with sky-toppling killing intent and bloodthirsty ferocity was released from her eyes. Surging, powerful red Shadow Essence erupted from her body like a wild horse breaking its tether.

The earth suddenly trembled, and the atmospheric temperature plummeted. The Shadow Essence, which expanded with a violent boom, caused the nearby ordinary Abyssal Demons to instinctively shiver and prostrate themselves on the ground.

Surges of blizzards rapidly expanded outward with the girl at the center.

And the wolf girl at the heart of the blizzard, surrounded by a crimson glow, gradually transformed into a snow-white giant wolf…