Chapter 920: Act 93 – The Great Adventure of Three Troublesome Kids
Brendel parted the crowd and saw the ‘person’. To be precise, he could barely discern that it was a woman, dressed in tattered, charred clothing that could barely cover her vital parts. Her body was covered in extensive burn wounds, some areas already rotting away. Her right hand had almost turned to charcoal, and especially on her once-pretty face were terrifying blisters. Half of her hair had been burned away, making it difficult to recognize her original appearance. His first thought upon seeing this woman was that it was a miracle she was still alive. Her chest rose and fell weakly, the only indication that she still had some life left. Additionally, from this woman, Brendel could sense the remnants of holy magic; it must have been Margadale who used a sacred spell to stabilize her injuries.
Beyond this, he could think of no reason for her survival, but even so, she would scarcely last a few more days. Organ failure would soon claim her life.
This was not a member of the embassy; there were no women among the Cruz nobility. She must be an innocent civilian caught up in Marlaxias’s attack, a truly pitiful woman. Just from some details, Brendel could determine that before her injuries, she had to have been an extraordinary beauty. Yet flames show no mercy. She could suffer and linger for a while longer, but soon she’d return to the dark abyss, the embrace of Lady Ylian. Brendel silently mourned for her momentarily, then turned back to look strangely at Margadale and the pale-faced Dierphir beside her. After a moment of contemplation, he realized he didn’t recognize them and didn’t understand why they had summoned him. Were these ladies suddenly feeling sympathetic and wanted to hold a funeral for this woman here?
That was absolutely impossible; no matter how sympathetic he might be, he wouldn’t place over a thousand people in danger for a dying woman.
“She’s Delphine,” Dierphir whispered in response.
Brendel was momentarily taken aback. He had some recollection of that name but found it hard to place it among the countless names swirling in his mind.
“She is the Chancellor’s daughter,” Margadale added, noticing Brendel’s confused expression.
Brendel then suddenly remembered, so it was her! He couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions; this woman had come looking for trouble with him half a year ago. At that time, he had gotten angry due to nearly injuring Freya and had imprisoned her in the water prison beneath Cold Fir Castle. However, Freya, being the kind-hearted person she was, secretly released her, allowing Lady Veronika to escort her back to the Empire. After that, everything returned to tranquility, and he had forgotten about it. He could hardly punish Freya over such a trivial matter.
He hadn’t expected to meet this lady in such a manner half a year later. Although he thought Delphine’s head might have been a bit messed up, he wasn’t narrow-minded enough to hold a grudge against a woman. Moreover, since Freya had only been frightened, seeing Delphine in such a state made his heart ache. He couldn’t help but shake his head, thinking how cruel fate had been. If he still had a vial of Holy Water, he could have saved her out of respect for the Chancellor of the Empire. However, now he was powerless.
Realizing the woman before him had a somewhat special identity, Brendel quickly adjusted his mindset, always on guard against the Chancellor’s wrath. He was quite familiar with the famously notorious old Nidwen Chancellor, but he didn’t know much about the young Nidwen’s temperament. It was indeed troubling to have a daughter like that who was narrow-minded and obsessive. He glanced at the others present and asked, “How did she end up here? Sir Cooper, what do you and Earl Orkans think should be done?”
Delphine was the Chancellor’s daughter; therefore, the highest authority to decide her fate was undoubtedly the Cruz nobility. Among everyone present, the highest-ranking was undoubtedly Earl Orkans. Brendel wanted to avoid trouble from the Chancellor’s side, but that Earl might not fear such trouble, especially since he had no reason to refuse; after all, Cruz nobility valued face above all else.
However, Brendel didn’t expect Cooper to look at him with a strange expression and reply, “We haven’t informed Earl Orkans yet. Given the current situation, it would be more appropriate for you, Lord Earl, to make the decision.”
Brendel was taken aback; Cooper was a vassal of Earl Orkans. When did he become bold enough to replace his lord in making decisions? However, looking around, he found that no one in attendance seemed surprised or opposed to this notion. What did this mean? This woman had once committed a sin against him, but he hadn’t become so narrow-minded as to let people believe he would hold a grudge against a mere woman. Even amongst the Cruz nobility, one should maintain decent etiquette in front of a lady. Did it mean that Brendel was viewed as less dignified than these nobles? Moreover, with Dierphir and Margadale present, those two ladies in a sense could also be considered as belonging to Duke Toniger’s realm, and their attitude added to Brendel’s sense of hurt.
Cooper seemed to notice Brendel’s confusion, yet he dared not speak openly and could only exchange a glance with Margadale. The latter sighed lightly before explaining, “Mr. Brendel, Delphine did not come here alone. Your White Lion Guard found her attendants and guards. After their ‘interrogation’, it’s been clarified that they were actually coming for you.” The nun princess then slowly recounted the whole story.
Hearing this, Brendel felt like he was listening to a tall tale. He had never imagined that the demon-slaying spear in the small sprite’s hand was originally intended to deal with him, yet by a twist of fate, it had instead saved everyone. The fact that the Chancellor’s daughter frightened him somewhat was undeniable; he couldn’t decide whether to label her too obsessive or determined. However, this crazy woman had brought this upon herself; she had traveled all this way to confront him, only to inadvertently attract the black dragon Marlaxias and end up in such a state. As he looked at Delphine, who was practically unrecognizable, he felt no glee at her misfortune. Had anything gone wrong for him this night, he might have met the same fate, and many more people present would have suffered as well.
This was no longer just a game.
He shook his head and sighed, “Forget it; these things are in the past. This lady… take her away. If she cannot hold on any longer, at least give her a decent burial befitting her status.”
Upon hearing this, everyone present sighed in relief, especially Cooper. By Brendel saying this, he had offered face to the Chancellor. Anyone hearing such a remark could only praise the generosity of this noble from Erluin, and the young Nidwen Chancellor lost her position to vent her anger. Nobles always valued face. Inwardly, Cooper felt grateful towards Brendel. He knew that the lord might not be afraid of retribution from the Empire, but they could not bear the consequences. Brendel’s reputation for being tough was well-known; he had even dared to offend the Queen of the Empire, so why would he fear a mere Chancellor? Therefore, privately, Cooper felt that Brendel was taking care of them in this regard. Brendel had an excellent reputation in Erluin; he neither groveled before the powerful nor bullied the weak, and this understanding was seemingly confirmed now.
Brendel, of course, had no idea that he was merely speaking out of sympathy, leading these lower-class Cruz nobles to extend such interpretations; he had become a symbol of noble character, earning an excellent reputation among them. His thoughts were quite simple; after all, Delphine was merely clinging to life. Why should he further complicate matters and kick someone when they were down? It was better to be magnanimous and prevent that unknown-spirited young Nidwen Chancellor from finding any further excuses to trouble him.
In truth, he had completely feared this Chancellor’s daughter because even facing the supreme figures of the Empire, there remained some logic to their actions. Yet, this young lady was purely mad; a madwoman’s thoughts could not be measured by normal logic. Keeping such a person as an enemy was truly terrifying. Fortunately, the noble Marlaxias had come to his aid and cleanly settled this problem for him.
Brendel was privately grateful to the black dragon.
Due to the battles between the dragons, Gravel Town had turned into a wasteland. The troops within the city—regardless of what side—had long fled in disarray; in the eyes of the giant dragons, the cavemen of Jotungrund and humanity were no different. Just as when people step on ants, they didn’t distinguish between good and bad; anyone stepping down would crush them all without exception. Therefore, the Erluin diplomatic mission faced no trouble while retreating. There were still dragon beasts left in the city, but most had followed Marlaxias away. The few that lagged behind or had fallen unconscious in the ruins and now awoken did not dare to provoke the hundreds of gargoyles above and instead distanced themselves to hide in the nearby hills.
The people of Erluin and Cruz walked together through the streets filled with broken walls and rubble. All around, the city was in ruins, and on the debris-strewn streets lay many corpses of cavemen, harpies, and even humans. The whole city, viewed from above, was eerily silent, resembling a ghost town. Brendel gazed at the completely destroyed eastern district of Gravel Town and couldn’t help but lament the destructive power of battles from realms above. It was foreseeable that this place would struggle to regain its former prosperity for the next decade. More likely, the war would leave shadows in everyone’s hearts, and refugees due to war might not return here for a long time. This place would quietly decay over the long term, and decades later, the remaining ruins and dry grass would tell passersby of what had once happened here.
Stories of dragons casting shadows over the earth.
And this widespread war was merely the beginning of an era of conflict and chaos. Brendel thought of the metal disk in Nemeses’s hands and had a vague feeling that a certain era might have been ushered in ahead of schedule. This holy war might evolve into a larger-scale turmoil, pulling the entire world into an endless whirlpool.
In another segment of history, he had personally witnessed this history unfold, with the only difference being that there still existed Erluin in this world.
He turned around and waved towards Charles in the distance—
The Erluin diplomatic mission was preparing to leave Gravel Town, but Sir Cooper within the mission had other tasks to complete. Perhaps Brendel ultimately convinced him, or he also realized that bullying a little girl didn’t seem like a reputable affair, so he decided to let the little sprite go. However, they now knew the origins of the demon-slaying spear and could never allow this unknown sprite girl to take the long spear away with her. Otherwise, Earl Fleuruit would certainly hold them accountable. The Nidwen family was already in trouble, and no one wanted to become the target of the Fleuruit family as well.
On Brendel’s suggestion, Cooper decided to personally persuade her to hand over the demon-slaying spear. Then she could go wherever she wanted, and no one would interfere.
However, convincing her was not smooth sailing.
“Little girl, we aren’t trying to lock you up, but that spear is the property of the Cruz people. As long as you leave it with us, you are free to go wherever you like.”
“Clearly, it was the little sprite that saved you, but you want to repay kindness with malice! You’re so bad!”
“I admit that. We can compensate you, but the spear isn’t yours, and it isn’t ours either. So it must stay, okay?”
“You’re lying! You’re bullying the little sprite!”
Tears glimmered in the little sprite’s eyes, and Cooper instantly felt a headache coming on. He didn’t want to be tagged as someone who bullied little girls, but no matter how long he talked, the little girl remained resistant. There were moments he almost exploded, but he was too embarrassed to use force against a little girl. Moreover, even if he wanted to, Brendel probably wouldn’t allow it. Before him, the little sprite clutched the demon-slaying spear tightly and stared at him warily. She neither wanted to stay nor hand over her treasure to him. Regardless of how eloquently he spoke, who knew what was true or false? In her logic: what a little sprite picked up naturally belonged to the little sprite.
In the end, in exasperation, Cooper could only leave one statement: “Forget it. For now, you can only stay here until you decide to hand over the spear. When you’ve thought it through, come and tell us.”
With that, he left the damned place with an extremely painful headache.
After Cooper had left for some time, the little sprite gazed nervously at the fake dragon beside her and said, “Xainne, what should we do? They want to rob the little sprite!”
Xainne rolled her eyes, thinking it was the little sprite who had stolen other people’s things. However, considering that the spear belonged to the bad guys who were coming to capture her, she suffered no psychological hurdles and replied matter-of-factly, “Isn’t this simple? If they don’t let us go, we just sneak away.”
“Sneak away? But the little sprite’s cloak has been lost!”
“That doesn’t matter.” Xainne flapped her wings confidently and said, “Watch me.”
The little sprite’s expression changed: “Xainne, are you going to use those terrifying spells again? I—I think it’s still good to stay. That human sister has been so nice to me, even giving me candy. I exchanged names with her; she said her name is Eynid.”
“You told her your real name?!” Xainne exclaimed in shock.
“Of course not.”
“Then how did you exchange names?”
“I told her I’m a little sprite.”
“Get lost! You wicked little brat,” Xainne retorted angrily, “Can’t you respect others? Exchanging names is a sacred thing among friends.”
“Alright, I’ll tell Eynid what the little sprite’s name is, and then we won’t leave.” The little sprite answered cautiously.
“Don’t try to change the subject; my spells are terrifying!” Xainne scolded as she slapped the little sprite’s forehead hard with her wings. “If it weren’t for my spells, we would have fallen to our deaths during that battle between that wicked woman and that black dragon.”
“But if it weren’t for your spells, we wouldn’t have been knocked down from the cloud layer!” The little sprite retorted disdainfully.
“That… that was just a mistake in my incantation.” Xainne defended herself.
“What about this time?”
“This time absolutely won’t happen! You don’t believe me anymore; I’m never going to be your friend again, damned little sprite!”
“Okay, okay, really?” The little sprite gasped, quickly trying to comfort her companion.
“Of course it’s true.” Xainne patted her chest and promised, “Just watch me!”
…
Brendel was evaluating the casualties. The White Lion Guard’s loss figures in this battle had him frowning deeply. In just a few minutes, the casualty rate had surpassed half. Fortunately, most of the injuries would not normally be fatal, and with his Holy Water, they could be turned into acceptable light wounds. Otherwise, he would genuinely be worried about losing his hair; this White Lion Guard unit was his elite, the backbone of the future Erluin basic infantry legion. Losing even one would cause him heartache for days. If it weren’t for such unavoidable circumstances, he would never have dreamed of deploying them against a dragon.
He was listening to the reports from Nemeses and Juliette while watching the diplomatic mission slowly pass through the western gate of Gravel Town when he noticed a frowning Cooper coming towards him from the back of the group. Seeing Cooper’s expression, he understood that the persuasive effort had probably not gone well.
“Sir Cooper, how did it go?”
“Ugh, don’t mention it,” Cooper shook his head helplessly. “I made a fool of myself in front of the lord.”
“It’s nothing serious; sprites are inherently distrustful of humans, especially wild sprites. Although they often appear in human society, they are even more cold than air sprites,” Brendel replied. As he spoke, he couldn’t help but recall the wild sprite sisters in the diplomatic mission. Flora could be said to be the typical sprite he had met, while her sister Diya seemed rather unique, likely due in large part to her growing up among humans. “Show sufficient sincerity, and I think she won’t be unreasonable; after all, she’s just a child.”
“Lord Earl, you indeed are well-read,” Cooper complimented. “But I don’t have that much patience. Kids are kids; a bit of scary treatment ought to make her understand. I hope you won’t mind, Lord Earl?”
Brendel shot him a glance, somewhat surprised that he was seriously going head-to-head with a little girl. He shrugged, thinking as long as he didn’t go too far: “Just don’t make too big a deal of it, Sir Knight. I have elves among my subordinates, and I think you understand how I feel about them.”
“Don’t worry; I’m only going to scare her a little,” Cooper responded. “Besides, she’s just a child; how much trouble could she cause?”
No sooner had he said that than a tremendous roar sounded, and everyone turned to see a pillar of fire shooting up from the rear of the convoy.
