Chapter 52: Tannya and Lise

"Your direct supervisor?"

Lu Xiu blinked. Although he had guessed that the Fiefdom Kingdom would certainly station people outside to prevent anyone from escaping, he hadn't expected them to be members of the Knight Order.

"What rank is your direct supervisor?"

Ecklaus realized he had slipped up in the heat of the moment. He turned his head away, refusing to answer further.

Lu Xiu chuckled, drew the black broadsword from his magic pocket, and plunged it into the floor right beside Ecklaus's neck.

"What rank is your direct supervisor?"

Lu Xiu repeated the question.

Looking at the sword blade inches from his face, Ecklaus answered helplessly, "Fourth Rank."

"What is his profession? How can he manage to guard both exits of the town all by himself?"

"He is an assassin, but not the traditional burst-damage type. As for how he manages to guard both exits... I don't know either."

Looking at the blade inching closer, Ecklaus forced a bitter, helpless smile.

"I really don't know. He has barely had to make a move. But since he agreed to take action for Lord Bantanda this time, he must be fully confident."

"After all, there is a massive gap between the fourth and third ranks. Many of his methods are things I've only heard of in rumors."

"I've heard that he used to be quite mediocre among third-rankers, but one day, through some unknown means, he attracted a shred of divinity and advanced to the fourth rank."

"His strength suddenly became brilliantly dazzling even among fourth-rankers."

Hearing this, Lu Xiu frowned. "They sent a fourth-ranker just to guard the fiefdom of a mere Wheel Town?"

Ecklaus spoke slowly, "According to my supervisor, it's because of the failed fiefdom in Wheel Town twenty-five years ago."

"At that time, the old Count—the father of the current Count Larry—was very confident he could successfully establish the fiefdom, but it ultimately failed."

"Many people in the royal capital had been eyeing the Bantanda territory for a long time, so they naturally meddied and accused the old Count to the King."

"The old Count spent God knows how much effort and financial resources to turn the public perception around, shifting the narrative from a failed fiefdom to successfully defending the Wheel Town territory with minimal troops."

"But he paid a heavy price for it. He fell gravely ill shortly after and passed away soon after."

"Count Larry calling in my supervisor this time is probably just to be safe."

Hearing this, Lu Xiu opened his mouth as if to say something, when—

Knock, knock, knock!

A crisp knock echoed from the door.

"Ecklaus, are you asleep? I have something to discuss with you. I feel like this slime siege is a bit strange."

The voice of the black-robed woman came from outside.

Lu Xiu raised an eyebrow, pressed the broadsword against Ecklaus's neck, and motioned for him to stay silent.

Hearing no response from inside, the woman outside said in confusion, "Ecklaus?? That's strange..."

"Ecklaus, you didn't run into trouble, did you? I'm coming in."

With that, the door slowly pushed open from the outside.

"Don't..."

Ecklaus tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

Lu Xiu moved like the wind, instantly appearing before the wide-eyed, terrified black-robed woman.

"You—"

The woman's mouth parted slightly, but before she could finish her sentence—

Bang!

Lu Xiu delivered a heavy chop with the side of his hand directly onto her shoulder.

Struck as if by lightning, the woman's body instantly went limp and she collapsed.

Lu Xiu gently closed the door.

Looking at the black-robed woman and Ecklaus lying side by side on the floor, he smiled and said, "Now there are two of you. Spill whatever other intelligence you have..."

...

Inside Wheel Town's largest restaurant,

Lise faced Tasanya rushing toward her, raising her hand unhurriedly.

Almost instantly, three magic arrays overlapped in her palm.

A freezing torrent surged out like a tidal wave from the arrays, blasting toward Tasanya, who was engulfed in blazing flames.

Third-Rank Mage Skill: [Surging Cold Surge]

Direct hit!

Boom!

Misty vapor billowed, instantly turning the center of the battlefield into a white, foggy expanse that blocked the nobles' line of sight.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Applauding echoed through the hall.

It was Muke, the rising star of the Mage Academy.

He knew Lise's strength very well. A point-blank hit from the Surging Cold Surge, even if it didn't end the battle outright, would be enough to severely injure Tasanya.

The outcome of this battle was practically sealed.

Seeing Muke applaud, the panicked nobles around him didn't quite understand at first, but slowly, some of them began to clap as well.

These nobles cared deeply about appearances. Seeing Muke applaud, they figured they couldn't just stand there panicking like bumpkins.

So they forced themselves to clap with feigned courage.

Yet, a few timid nobles still asked in whispers, "Is it over already?"

"Just... over?"

Hearing the nobles whispering, Muke smiled faintly and spoke up, "Everyone, let me proudly introduce my junior sister, Lise, a magical genius even more talented than myself. With her here, you can all rest easy."

"Just sit back and enjoy the show."

Hearing this, the nobles finally relaxed.

Having long heard rumors of Muke's strength, they naturally put their complete faith in him.

They chimed in one after another:

"Lady Lise is too strong! Fortunately, we have Lady Lise here."

"Indeed, thanks to Lady Lise. Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful, but her strength is also formidable."

"In time, she will surely become a dazzling star of Bantanda, just like Lord Muke."

Standing in the center of the hall, Lise listened to the nobles' praises, the corners of her mouth curling up involuntarily.

She was indeed a person of extreme pride.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to a small town like Wheel Town to spend a whole year just to advance to the fourth rank.

The prouder a person was, the more they were willing to endure to maintain that pride.

Though her teachers and friends around her praised her as the next Star of Bantanda, no one knew that her sights had never been set on a tiny place like Bantanda.

Her dream had always been to go to the royal capital,

where the most talented generation of the entire kingdom was said to gather.

She wanted to go there to showcase her talent and ability. That was her true stage, and she was confident she was inferior to no one!

Suddenly, however,

a fist covered in red scales thrust out from the mist before her.

Before her incredulous eyes, that fist grew larger and larger,

and then, it struck her dead center in the face.

[Frost Blessing]

At the very last moment, Lise unleashed her defensive measure.

A layer of icy qi surged out, enveloping her entire body.

Yet that fist was simply too close, and the force behind it far too heavy.

A mage's defensive skill could obviously not completely block a monster-like fist of this magnitude.

With that single punch,

Lise's face distorted directly, and her confident, smiling expression vanished without a trace.

Saliva and blood sprayed from her twisted face, scattering into the air.

"Lise!!!"

Muke stared in disbelief at the scene before him as Lise's body crashed heavily to the ground.

Tasanya stepped out of the mist, shaking the frost from her arm. There were obvious frostbite marks on it, but the dense layer of scales on her right forearm had blocked the brunt of the damage.

Without a single pause, Tasanya charged toward the fallen Lise once more, laughing as she spoke,

"Have you witnessed it? The power I was newly granted!"