I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 112

Chapter 109: Schemes Afoot

Under the cover of night, Bluven and his band of Cultists did not pursue, but instead hid within the forest to bid farewell to Leanne.

A send-off for the Cult of the Evil Dragon.

They collected the shattered remains of Leo, mixing it with the remaining half of his body, and cast it into the blazing crimson bonfire.

The eerie flames emitted no smoke, only the distant, chilling roar of a dragon.

That alone was enough.

Veszyra was not without its customs of cremation.

But then, tears streaming down his face, Bluven shockingly reached out and tore a chunk of bloodied, rotten flesh from Leanne’s burning corpse, treating it like a gift from the heavens, and reverently placed it into his mouth.

The Cultists followed suit, weeping and chanting their dirges, while savoring the burning flesh infused with Extraordinary Power.

The thin scales on each Cultist began to writhe as if animated by life, spreading to their limbs. Their eyes grew increasingly cold and merciless.

“Rest in peace, friend who offered yourself for our king. Your blood and flesh shall become our strength, united with the singular, and continue to serve our king…”

Bluven was bidding farewell to Leanne when suddenly, the ground trembled violently.

Fierce magical beasts in the forest instinctively sensed the danger and scurried away.

The flames before Bluven suddenly roiled and churned.

The swirling fire transformed into an eye. An eye as cruel, merciless, and bloodthirsty as the Cultists themselves.

Bluven knelt before it in fear and trepidation.

“Oh, my king! What is your command?!”

The blazing eye of flame silently regarded Bluven.

But Bluven nodded as if listening intently, then suddenly lifted his head, staring in surprise toward the direction of the Doomsday Volcano.

“Really?! This must be fate’s guidance; the blood of the False King truly cannot escape your grasp!”

“And, oh great king, you are indeed…! Ah! Yes! We shall offer you the blood of the False King!”

When the flames subsided, only the charred remains of Leanne’s broken bones were left.

Bluven wasted no time in devouring this friend in his entirety, then slowly rose, revealing a cruel, bloodthirsty smirk to the Cultists behind him.

“Our king has informed me of the whereabouts of the False King’s blood! We march immediately, to bring it to our king!!!”

The Cultists, who had been waiting eagerly, finally received their orders, exuding a murderous intent as they advanced toward the Doomsday Volcano like a pack of wolves in response to Bluven’s call.

However, these hunters were unaware that another batch of hunters had their eyes fixed on their movements.

“Hmph, I knew these bastards were up to no good,” Leo sneered from his hiding spot in the trees.

It wouldn’t be easy to chase down two people riding a griffin in the dark, but tracking a whole gang of Cultists was far simpler.

Just as he suspected, the Cult of the Evil Dragon had set its sights on Roy, and they had some sort of tracking method; most importantly, these dragon followers were not planning to heed his commands.

“Do your duty well; this is your last chance to be useful.”

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Under the violent earthquake, the walls of the dilapidated tavern cried out in agony, the old furniture inside creaked and swayed.

Fortunately, the quake came quickly and left just as fast.

Charlotte anxiously waited for a few seconds, peering out the window at the distant volcano, seeing it still and quiet once more, before relaxing and reassuring Roy, “Don’t worry; it’s a dormant volcano.”

“It was probably just a regular earthquake.”

Roy recalled the hair-raising sensation he had felt while passing by the volcano, and his anxiety grew deeper.

But without evidence, he didn’t want to say anything that might panic Charlotte.

Roy sighed, “Let’s set aside the earthquake for now. But there’s something off about this village.”

“Something off…?” Charlotte hesitated.

The girl often hunted alongside the troops and wasn’t a sheltered noble lady; she mingled in the noble social circle and understood the ways of the world.

Yet, she was still a standard royal noble, far from knowing what ordinary people were like.

This was something Roy, who had lived two lives, had experience in that she could not make up for.

“It’s way too off. First of all, the commoners in such a remote village shouldn’t have been so calm upon seeing nobles, and the food is really overcooked.”

Roy paused, looking out at the tranquil village beyond the window: “Most importantly, during the earthquake just now, the entire village didn’t react at all.”

It was as if they had long grown accustomed to it.

“A village by a volcano is used to quakes as well…” Charlotte instinctively began to say before suddenly realizing.

The Doomsday Volcano was dormant and was usually silent. She knew this all too well after growing up in Lionheart City.

If that were the case, then what was with this earthquake?

Deep in thought and feeling uneasy, Charlotte hesitated as she glanced toward the forest: “Should we…?”

“No, let’s rest here for now. We’ll set off first thing in the morning.”

Even without magical beasts, the night forest was dangerous enough to navigate.

In fact, both they and the Golden-Winged Griffin were utterly exhausted.

If they didn’t catch their breath, there was no way they could proceed, even without pursuers or magical beasts.

Once Roy mentioned it, Charlotte felt as if her whole body had been weighted down with lead, plopping down on the edge of the bed.

Suddenly, a rumble broke the silence of the room.

Charlotte’s expression froze, feeling a bit at a loss.

Roy took out the Perfect Bread from his magic ring, and before she could protest, he kindly said, “After a day of walking, I’m pretty hungry too.”

“Want some?”

“Thanks.” Charlotte took the bread somewhat sheepishly.

The Perfect Bread looked like ordinary toast, but it was actually a magical creation from the Second Era.

This food utilized alchemy and magic, condensing the essence of over a hundred ingredients, rich in fats, sugars, proteins, vitamins— and even sufficient moisture to meet all biological needs.

One slice of Perfect Bread could sustain a person for a whole day.

That was why the magicians of the Second Era called it perfect.

Holding the bread, Charlotte couldn’t help but exclaim, “You even prepared food; you must have anticipated falling into this situation long ago, huh?”

“Better safe than sorry.” Roy grinned, a little smug.

“Though, this thing is a magical product, and they say it tastes just okay.”

Charlotte shot him a glance, complaining, “Don’t underestimate me; it’s not like I’m some spoiled rich girl. At times like this, anything that fills the belly is fine!”

She wasn’t one of those picky daughters!

Thanks to Roy, she didn’t have to dwell on that chunk of inedible meat.

After all, bread was still better than that humanly repulsive piece of rotten flesh, right?

Without hesitation, Charlotte bit into it.

In the next moment, all her features twitched simultaneously.

Condensing the essence of over a hundred foods also meant condensing the flavors of over a hundred foods.

Her mouth was blasted with flavors.

It was like an explosion of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and all kinds of mixed tastes, hitting her palate like a burst of a hundred seasonings.

This stuff could even squirt!

Charlotte’s first instinct was to spit it out!

But she quickly realized that would waste precious food and harm her image in front of Roy!

So, using her sheer willpower, she swallowed it down, all under Roy’s watchful gaze!