Chapter 158: The New Fire (Part 1)
Boom!
As flames sliced through the night, the moment they appeared before everyone, Sword Demon Miss reacted instantly. With her petite frame, she leapt off the beast’s back like a lightning bolt, ready to engage.
The dull yet intense racket startled the surrounding Horned Horses, who began to stomp their hooves and whinny, nearly sending my unsuspecting mother tumbling off her mount. Thankfully, I was quick enough to grab her and pull her back just in time. My mother, flustered, wasn’t the only one; the hunters started to shout, swinging their weapons, forming an impromptu defense against the seemingly imminent threat.
However, the firelight had already danced above our heads, intertwining with the lightning-like form of Sword Demon. The sounds of fighting erupted with a bang, fiery arcs bursting from the collisions. Then came an even louder thud, accompanied by a sweltering wind. Two figures—one large, one small—descended, poised in a standoff not far from our group, looking like neither side could make a move against the other.
“Mom, are you alright?”
I helped my mother settle back on the beast and, spotting the towering figure facing Sword Demon, recognized who it was. When she shook her head, signaling that she was fine, I promptly scrambled down and approached Sword Demon: “Anna, you’re back.”
I called from a distance, striding past the hunters who had already formed a defensive line, waving my hands to signal them to stay calm. Before long, I executed a Moon Step, appearing beside Sword Demon in a blink and gave her shoulder a pat: “Put the sword away. Let me handle this.”
After that, I raised my gaze to the imposing figure opposite us.
“Miss Silvya, I have something to discuss with you,” the figure announced, his deep voice like a beast’s growl. It was none other than Pope Knight Tarlasya. He then dispelled the sparks swirling around him, sheathing his sword at his waist.
“You managed to catch up rather quickly,” I remarked, stretching my neck and gesturing for Sword Demon to step back, ushering my mother and the others to leave first. “What’s with the fierce approach… planning to challenge me to another round?”
The man’s appearance was indeed a surprise.
I had originally planned to meet him outside the castle, but I meant for it to be when we returned to Baihao City with the Shanter Army. I didn’t expect that after taking such a heavy punch from me, he would recover quickly enough to catch up—what’s more, he looked unscathed.
The defensive capabilities of the Earth Order truly are astonishing…
I suppose next time I encounter a foe of the same ilk, I should hit harder.
Suddenly, I was a bit eager to spar with him right then and there.
Yet it was clear he wasn’t there for a rematch.
“Let’s talk.”
He said from a distance, gesturing towards a snow mound, his expression calm as he motioned with his jaw: “Over there.”
“Sure thing,” I replied, shrugging nonchalantly.
Then I turned around to signal everyone again to move on, only to find that no one was budging. Even Sword Demon simply backed away, holding her sword, while my mother and Hoover had dismounted and were walking over.
“Mom—”
I started to call out to her, but she interrupted me swiftly: “Lord Tarlasya, seeing you safe gives me great relief. With all these changes, things might become quite troublesome for you. I’d like to apologize for my daughter’s recklessness…”
As my mother spoke, she and Hoover walked right up to me, completely ignoring my pleading eyes, first offering a formal apology to the man, then swiftly pivoting the conversation: “You came alone, which means the knights back in the castle didn’t pursue us on your orders, am I right? If that’s the case, then we owe you a great debt at Shanter Castle.”
“No need for that,” Tarlasya replied, slowly shaking his head. “I didn’t let them pursue for a simple reason. In the current situation, adding more people would only lead to their demise. I was saving their lives, that’s all.”
“But the captains might not see things that way,” my mother countered. “This could lead to significant trouble for you later on.”
“It’s not a concern.”
Facing my mother’s sincere apology, the man appeared nonchalant: “I have my own methods and standing. No need for you to feel guilty, madam. Many in the Church have been blinded by faith, perhaps forever unable to see beyond that, but I am not one of them. We’ve discussed this, and you understand.”
His words hinted at something deeper.
This man…
Much like his appearance, he was quite serious.
This thought flickered through my mind as I realized my mother might have reached an understanding with Tarlasya long before. Trying to impose anything else wouldn’t be suitable, so I obediently stepped back behind her, ready to listen quietly before speaking.
“Mr. Tarlasya, you truly are a reasonable and heroic figure. I admire that.” My mother offered a bit of flattery, maintaining her poise despite the earlier chaos, “Given that, let’s speak candidly.”
As she said this, she signaled Hoover to step back and naturally walked over to Tarlasya. I blinked for a moment, quickly following suit, while Hoover also tried to join but was gently halted by my mother’s quiet command: “Don’t worry. Pepé will be with me.”
This left the fierce-looking man standing still, realizing that what was to come wasn’t something he could casually overhear.
Tarlasya was undoubtedly aware of Lady Catherine’s intent as well.
Thus, the three of us distanced ourselves from the hunters, moving to the snow mound the man had indicated earlier. During this, my mother spoke again: “Lord Tarlasya, I know you and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, along with my husband Mr. Skarlij, have reached certain agreements. To be honest, I’m still not clear on this matter, but as Skarlij’s wife, I believe I have the right to know the choice he made.”
“Moreover, it seems you plan to involve my daughter in this. With my husband’s life uncertain and the Northern Army thrown into chaos by this sudden assault, if he does not return soon, the entire Empire will face a dire disaster. So regardless of where we stand, I cannot remain on the sidelines. I must know what you all are up to. I trust you understand.”
Her soft voice bore an undeniable seriousness.
Behind the snow mound, the cold wind was stifled.
The man named Tarlasya appeared to be hesitating.
But then, it seemed he made up his mind.
“Very well, I’ll keep it brief.”
Tarlasya then turned his gaze towards me: “Miss Silvya, the news of your presence here was actually brought up by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Although she only mentioned that there might be reinforcements, I had no idea who the reinforcements were or how strong they would be, having held no expectations for it.”
He paused.
“I certainly didn’t expect the person who showed up to be you, a legendary Pope Knight who was already thought dead. Your strength has indeed exceeded my imagination; you’re remarkably strong—stronger than the rumors suggest… Though I cannot agree with your methods, I also recognize your achievements. I know more about certain matters, which makes it hard to gauge your character, and now is not the time to reflect on that.”
“Ha.”
I chuckled lightly at his words, unwilling to enter into a debate.
Tarlasya, however, didn’t seem to take it to heart.
But when he said he knew more… what did that truly mean?
“We are currently in a very passive position.”
I heard the man continue, “This is something no one foresaw. The situation has evolved to this troublesome level, and the reason it all began is simply because of a nun from the Holy City.”
