Chapter 57: Ambush
“Are you okay on your own, Sister Peilo?”
Aili looked up at me with her little head, worry shining in her eyes.
She’d suffered a lot growing up, probably understood that poorer places were more dangerous. Maybe in her eyes, I was still that naive young lady?
I chuckled and reached out to pat her head.
The fluffy, warm sensation from my palm made me smile as I watched Aili’s little head sway gently with my motion. It was strangely amusing.
Maybe a few more pats might get me addicted… is that why Carlos liked to ruffle my hair when I was a kid?
I’d totally pound him if he were here.
“That’s right! I almost forgot how amazing you are, Sister! If we run into any bad guys, you’ve got to swoosh up into the sky like last time!”
I was here to find bad guys… there’s no way I could let the little girl know that, so I nodded lightly.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Then I’ll head back, Sister.” Aili took a couple of steps but suddenly turned back: “Sister, will we meet again?”
“Of course. I’ll be going to the Royal City soon.”
As soon as those words left my mouth, she perked up, her little face turning a shade pink.
“Really! You’re not lying to me, right?”
“Yep, not lying.”
“Hehe.” Aili flashed her adorable little smile, “Then, Sister, when you’re in the Royal City, you have to come to Cataloma to play with me. I’ll be waiting for you!”
“I promise.”
She waved her tiny hand.
“See you in the Royal City!”
“See you in the Royal City.”
The little girl hopped away, her silhouette fading in the distance.
I watched her for a moment and then turned to step into the old street.
The street was desolate and silent, filled with a pungent smell that made me wrinkle my nose. The houses on either side were in ruins, some just wooden skeletons that couldn’t even shield anyone from the wind or rain—there wasn’t a soul in sight.
I began to understand why Edward had chosen this spot. It was perfect for hiding or, you know, eliminating folks.
Just a few steps in, I stopped in front of a house on my right. It was probably the only three-story building on the street, out front sat a war chariot with no family crest, ordinary and plain.
The carriage was empty, not even a driver around. The pure white war chariot neighed softly as I approached.
In this world, war chariots were ridiculously expensive; a robust adult war chariot typically costs hundreds of coins. Only noble knights or prominent families could own one, so its presence here was certainly suspicious, almost too convenient.
I looked down at the doorplate. Sure enough, despite the worn-down letters, I could make out “1 Powell Street.”
Looks like this is the place.
I exhaled lightly, steeling myself as I pushed the door.
It creaked open easily. The dim light inside barely pierced the swirling dust.
“Cough, cough, ugh!”
I quickly covered my mouth and nose, scanning the room. The walls were cracked and peeling, and the furniture was cloaked in a thick layer of dust—definitely looked like no one lived here.
Creak—creak—
My boots made an obnoxious noise on the floor, utterly impossible to hide. So I shouted, “Edward! I’m here! Where’s Lafael?”
After a moment, silence.
“…Edward?”
The entire house was deathly quiet, aside from my footsteps and heavy breathing. I climbed the decaying staircase all the way up to the third floor, not spotting a single person.
“Where is everyone?!”
What the heck? What’s that scoundrel Edward up to?
…Did I walk into the wrong place? No way; the door clearly said Powell Street No. 1… unless Winter City had multiple Powell Streets?
“Achoo! Sneeze—”
I couldn’t take it anymore.
The air was so filthy that even covering my nose couldn’t shield me from the choking dust. Frowning, I hurried down to the first floor and pushed the door open, taking a deep breath outside. Much better!
The outside air had its own smell, but at least it wasn’t choking me.
Just as I turned to close the door—
Boom, boom, boom.
Three soft twangs of bowstrings rang out from three different directions, and my heart raced.
So they really are here!
I darted aside, effortlessly dodging the flying arrows and swiftly summoned a flash of blue energy in my palm.
Shards of ice whipped through the air above me, and in an instant, three slender ice spikes emerged.
The icy spikes were a pale blue, smooth in appearance. The sunlight hit their tips, reflecting a dazzling cold light, like invincible needles. These were no ordinary ice shards; their power and speed were on a different level.
Calculating the angles, I flicked my hand.
Whoosh—
The ice spikes shot out at speeds nearly impossible to track, heading toward the arrows’ trajectory.
The next moment, I heard a clatter above me.
Thinking quickly, I condensed an extreme ice short blade and shot toward the source of the sound.
Clang!
I intercepted the attack. Feeling the force against my hands, I looked up to see a strange butcher’s kn*fe colliding with my blade, revealing the masked face lurking behind it.
Wait, that face looks kinda familiar… where have I seen that before…?
Suddenly, the kn*fe let out a faint chime.
Clang.
Instinctively, I tilted my head, narrowly avoiding a blade that popped out, slicing through some of my hair.
At the same time, I tightened my left fist, preparing to strike back, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a black spherical object in the masked man’s other hand, already heading my way.
I had a bad feeling about it.
Moon Step!
Everything around me blurred. In the next moment, I was ten meters away.
The confrontation had only lasted for an instant, and as I pulled out, the masked man finally landed.
Suddenly, it dawned on me who he was.
“Valar!”
Wasn’t this guy captured and getting tortured by the duke? How did he end up here?
How did he escape!?
“Long time no see, little Pepé!”
Swish—
Valar didn’t give me a moment to think. Zipping close with Moon Step, he raised his butcher’s kn*fe high.
…Is he looking to get himself killed?
Angry, I felt my eyes glow blue.
Boom!
An ice pillar erupted from beneath Valar, launching him skyward several meters.
“d*mn it!”
Hearing his curse, I thought about jumping up to finish him off, but suddenly, I heard noises behind me.
I quickly pivoted and lashed out with a kick, landing a solid hit that sent the attacker flying into a nearby abandoned house, smashing through a wooden frame.
Crash—
The house collapsed, dust swirling everywhere. More shadowy figures charged in from all directions down the street, silently advancing toward me, each wearing a strange mask.
…Are these assassins all Edward’s people?!
Did he think gathering a bunch of small fries would be enough to deal with me, or just wanted to annoy me?
They were really getting on my nerves.
Once more, my eyes blazed with blue light.
A chilling fog began to spread from beneath my feet, quickly enveloping the area. The nearest three masked figures had their legs instantaneously encased in ice and fell to the ground.
“Ah!”
“My leg—”
The remaining masked figures stood frozen in shock, hesitating far back.
I leaped atop an ice pillar, looking down at Valar, who was slowly drifting to the ground.
Taking a deep breath, I forced down my anger.
“Bring out Edward.”
“Ha, little biaozi, you’re quite the feisty one. You’ve improved a lot since two months ago, huh? That old coot Skarlij has put a lot of thought into you.”
This j*rk has a slimy mouth. I really wanted to take him out right here.
Raising my arm, the temperature dropped again, and a flurry of ice crystals danced around me.
Crack, crack, crack—
In the next moment, countless sharp, thin blue ice spikes floated above, obscuring half the sky, all aimed at Valar.
“…You dare to say another word, see what happens?”
Valar instinctively took a step back, but sensing he might look foolish, he mocked me again: “Hehe. The threat coming from that adorable little throat of yours isn’t too scary, my lovely young lady?”
Whoosh—
The ice spikes shot out like bullets, piercing through Valar’s shoulder and embedding into the ground behind him.
bl**d gushed forth.
“Ah—!! d*mn it!!”
“Hmm… did I miss?”
“I’m going to k*ll you! I swear I will!”
What a whiny hurt dog—there’s no need to pay any mind.
“Where’s Edward?”
Valar pressed his hand against his shoulder, and since he was masked, I couldn’t see his expression.
“Little biaozi… I admit, you’re quite strong. But, hehe. Are you brave enough to k*ll?”
“Let’s find out.”
Whoosh—
Another ice spike shot toward his chest. This time Valar was ready. He sidestepped just in time, narrowly avoiding it.
“Bring it on.”
Whoosh, whoosh—
Valar’s dodging became more desperate. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Your speed is fast, but how much longer can you keep it up?”
He didn’t respond.
“Tell me. Where’s Edward? Where’s Lafael?”
“Hehe.”
I frowned.
“What’s so funny?”
Suddenly, vertigo hit me. My body felt heavy, my legs losing strength, and I almost stumbled off the ice pillar. I quickly stabilized myself.
The ice spikes began to fall, and my vision blurred.
“Finally worked, huh?” A voice drifted in from nearby, “Pepé, I’ve missed you so much! Did you miss me?”
