Chapter 71: The Siege
“Phew, phew, phew…”
Before long, the two of them were gasping for breath, slumping onto the ground, mouths wide open, completely unwilling to get back up.
“I-I thought Brother Rect was strict enough… Little Shay… whew… you really held nothing back…” Ryan said, struggling to catch his breath.
Held nothing back?
Seriously, they didn’t even get a chance to poke at a sword before they passed out in half a second!
“Alright, think about what I just said,” I tossed away the branch in my hand, not wanting to play with them anymore. The basic sword steps I had taught tonight would take them at least a few months to fully digest.
The sky was turning dark, and soon Barry and Ryan rushed back to the mansion to take a shower. Ryan’s mother came back shortly after; she was a hardworking and straightforward woman. The moment she returned, she put on a headscarf and apron, diving into cleaning the house.
I came downstairs from Grandma Claire’s room and bumped into her. The woman looked surprised to see me; of course, she knew who I was. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of joy—as if my sudden appearance made her genuinely happy—but she was a little awkward, standing there stiffly. I called out, “Auntie,” and after a considerable pause, she replied dryly, “Oh, you’re back.”
“Yeah, I’m back. Have you eaten dinner?”
“I did, I ate out…”
After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, she continued scrubbing the floor, and I slipped out of the side building, walking alone into the courtyard where the Honey Fruit Tree grove was. In the gazebo, there sat a pot of cold tea and a plate overflowing with bright red fruits.
Oh? Akriv Fruit?
I recognized the fruit; I had eaten it the first time I met Viki. A specialty of Silgaya, I had only tasted it that once, and I remembered it being quite sweet.
Ah, what a nostalgia…
I sat down, picked a fruit, sniffed it at the tip of my nose, and took a big bite. The sweet juice burst forth, flowing down my chin like a fruity fountain, and I quickly used my other hand to catch it to avoid sticky stains on my dress.
As I bent down, I suddenly heard a faint rustle in the distance. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark figure darting across the roof of a small building outside the mansion, quickly disappearing behind a chimney and melting into the night.
…Who is it?
Holding the half-eaten fruit, I slowly stood up.
The sparse branches above blocked some of my view, and since it was a starless night, I couldn’t make out whether the person was male or female or what they were wearing.
But anyone who would leap across rooftops at night with that kind of agility was definitely not an ordinary person. If they hadn’t made a peep, I wouldn’t have noticed at all… but there seemed to be no hostile intent. Could it be from the Sword of Kanli?
My gaze quickly swept around, and I gently leapt, vaulting through the treetops, landing atop the gazebo’s roof. I stood on the beams, my black skirt billowing in the wind, took another bite of the fruit, and glanced around.
In the distance, I could vaguely hear rustling sounds coming from beyond the wall.
Following the noise, I spotted shadows creeping closer in the bushes, moving in on Vilo Garden.
No, wait, that’s not the Sword of Kanli…
An enemy?
Swish, swish, swish—
Having realized I had noticed them, the shadows discarded caution and dashed towards me at a quicker pace. The two nearest figures had already crossed the road and leaped over the wall, suddenly appearing in the courtyard, clashing directly with the guards on duty.
“Who goes there!”
In an instant, the sound of swords being drawn rang out. I saw the two dark figures remain silent, engaging the guards in combat; blades clashed with startling sparks igniting the dark night.
I narrowed my eyes, wanting to rush in for support when suddenly I heard a piercing whistling sound right next to me. Something sliced through the air, heading straight for me.
Without as much as a glance, I raised my arm and caught it in my hand. Before I could even turn, I heard a sharp shout from the bushes outside the wall. In my peripheral vision, a shadow spread its arms like an eagle and soared over the wall. As it landed on the top of the wall, it pushed off with force, and I saw the sound of a humming blade forming in its palm, aiming straight for my neck.
The Church…
Buzz buzz buzz—
The sharp buzzing seemed to originate from the roots of my ears. In a split second, I instinctively raised my right hand, ready to hurl the thing I was holding at that shadow. Just as my arm lifted, I suddenly realized it was the half-eaten Akriv fruit. I quickly withdrew, jumped, and shoved the fruit into my mouth.
In the next moment, I pushed my palm outward gently, and countless sharp ice spikes formed into a dense web right in front of me, 360° with no blind spots, and shot toward the shadow still hovering in the air!
At that moment, illuminated by the faint light from the courtyard, I finally got a clear look at the shadow’s outfit and features.
A black robe, a hood, and a light blade…
The Choir of Saints?
Wait a minute…
Is that a kid?!
Clang!
The countless ice shards that had encircled and shot out all came to a halt, barely surrounding the shadow in midair. It landed on the beam where I had been standing, half of its face hidden in the hood, seemingly puzzled, glancing around cautiously. The blade in its hand was still glowing, yet it dared not move.
Meanwhile, I conjured a floating ice staircase adorned with ornate patterns beneath my feet, standing in midair not far from the roof. I pulled the fruit from my mouth, took another bite, and glanced at the throwing weapon I had caught—it was a shiny silver throwing kn*fe with a thorny flower pattern engraved on the back. Definitely a member of the Choir of Saints, no doubt about it.
But…
A child?
Looking up, I saw the small figure clad in a black robe beginning to swing its light blade, wildly hacking at the multitude of ice spikes surrounding it. It appeared to be a boy about twelve or thirteen, his gaze met mine briefly, and he flinched, almost as if asking for help, instinctively glancing back over his shoulder.
Impulsive, reckless…
Buzz!
In the next moment, golden light surged forth, wrapping around me in a swirl, rapidly consolidating into golden chains attempting to bind me completely. However, before the chains could fully form, they were scattered by the arc-shaped ice shield that exploded from my side, transforming back into shimmering golden particles that scattered into the dark night.
That ice shield also blocked a silent, fierce strike that came slashing from my left. The shiny silver blade collided with the hard ice, making a clanging noise and scattering ice shavings everywhere. The attacker’s face flashed into my view—a girl with small eyes and freckles, looking slightly older than the boy, but only around thirteen or fourteen herself.
She had talent and knew some divine miracles.
But lacked experience and acted rashly…
I shot my hand forward like lightning, gripping the girl’s neck and immobilizing her movement, raising her slender frame up off the ground. She struggled, coughing, and aimed her blade at me again. I promptly offered up the part of the fruit I had already bitten, using the blade to slice off a piece of slightly darkened fruit skin, not sure if it was spoiled, and dodged her stab. I drove my knee hard into her arm.
“Ah!”
The girl let out a cry of pain as the kn*fe slipped from her grasp.
