Chapter 310: The Battle Begins (6K Bonus Chapters 100 & 101)

Swani left.

In a posture Herbert couldn't quite read, she departed alone with an air of ease.

She didn't betray her companions like the other dark elves; instead, at the final moment she chose to shoulder the danger alone, leaving them out of it.

"You say… what does she mean by that?"

Herbert lowered his head, looking at his own palm with a strange expression, as if he could still feel the warmth that had passed through the barrier moments ago.

"She's a dark elf—does she really plan to play the hero?"

If it were simply playing the hero, that would be one thing.

But the problem was, the feeling she gave Herbert was exactly like someone going to her death.

Swani was so saturated with the intent to die that she'd practically planted Death Flags all over herself.

'Hope you survive so we can meet again'… why not just say 'wait till the battle's over and we'll get married'?

We're about to fight—don't say such ill-omened things!

"What do you plan to do?"

Elisa picked up the thread, snorting: "Are you going to obediently follow her words and stay here waiting for everything to end? Or do you plan to do something else?"

Herbert didn't answer; instead he turned his head and asked: "What do you think?"

"Me? Hmph!"

Elisa scoffed, snorting: "Of course I won't listen to her arrangements. I'll prove to her that I'm not some weakling who needs protecting!"

An answer exactly as expected.

Herbert shook his head with a light laugh and stretched hard: "Then it looks like our choices are the same."

In the span of those few lines of conversation, Herbert had already shaken off the state Swani had left him in and returned to his usual self.

Geez, a simple thing made so complicated, as if it were a parting forever.

He was a stubborn person.

Even if Swani really did mean it for his own good, that still wouldn't do.

Once Herbert had decided what he was going to do, he wouldn't follow someone else's arrangements.

"What we need to do is actually very simple." He turned his head toward the lord's manor.

Since the shortcut through the secret passage was no longer an option, they could only choose another plain, traditional way to make their entrance.

"Force our way in."

Elisa nodded, her crimson eyes brimming with excitement: "Mm, then let's force our way in!"

After the troublesome 'Veranmeya' had left, with only her in front of Herbert, she had clearly become more lively than before—Theresa didn't even register in her eyes.

"By the way, no offense, but can you really keep me safe?"

"Heh, isn't that obvious!"

Elisa snorted, showing unusual anger at Herbert for doubting her.

Looking down on me, are you?

How dare you look down on me!?

"Um…"

At that moment, a weak voice cut off her retort.

Theresa, who had been trying to shrink her presence as much as possible, hurriedly spoke up.

Because she realized that if she didn't say something now, these people really were going to leave her behind here alone!

Don't leave me all by myself, ahhhh!

"Oh right, you're still here too—almost forgot."

Herbert finally noticed the girl who looked like a gorgon, and said apologetically: "Sorry, my lady, you can't come with us. You have to stay here."

Upon hearing these words, Theresa visibly deflated, her whole frame sagging, and she pleaded: "M-my lord! Can I really not come with you?"

She didn't want to leave the savior she had finally found, didn't want to leave the knight's side.

"You should still stay here."

But Herbert didn't let her act cute, and firmly refused.

"We're going to do something dangerous. If we forcibly brought you along, it wouldn't be protecting you—it would be hurting you."

Perhaps it's a bit of a double standard, but for the girl, this really was the best choice.

Moreover, Herbert's strength was far beyond what this gorgon girl, who had only just awakened her bloodline power, could compare to.

There was simply no comparison between the two.

He had too many trump cards; he wouldn't die so easily, and at certain critical moments he could also unleash tremendous power.

"…Mm."

Theresa pressed her lips together. Though disappointed, she didn't keep pleading.

She could hear the firmness in Herbert's attitude—this gentle wording simply left no room for refusal.

"Very good."

Herbert was fairly satisfied with the girl's obedience. He raised a hand and patted her on the head, his tone softening slightly as he comforted her: "Stay here. Elisa's blood slaves will protect you."

Earlier, Herbert had killed two assassins and thoroughly destroyed the monsters the assassins had transformed into, but Elisa's approach had differed from his.

She had drained the blood from those assassins, gathered it into a massive blood orb, then mixed in a single drop of her own blood before pouring the blood back into them.

These soulless, shriveled corpses had shown signs of mutating and reviving, but the blood within them forcibly suppressed it.

These hastily made blood slaves retained roughly seventy percent of their living strength. They couldn't last long, but for a short while they were already enough.

Even if someone discovered this secret passage and forced their way in, the blood slaves would be able to protect her for a time.

Theresa pressed her lips together and obediently nodded.

"Good, stay put inside. We'll take care of everything." Herbert soothed her softly.

It would be taken care of.

She would not die here.

No one would die here.

He would kill Stella and put a complete end to the blood sacrifice ritual.

Everyone would be saved.

This was not a promise made by a Holy Knight to the weak who needed saving.

It was merely the words of an arrogant mortal — a fact he was certain of.

As for whether these words were "ravings" or "prophecy," that depended on just how far Herbert could ultimately go.

And just as Herbert had finished his arrangements and was preparing to leave, the uneasy girl spoke up again.

"Sir Knight! I — can I bring one more person?"

"Hm?"

Herbert turned his head back curiously, not expecting the girl to make a new request at this moment.

He wasn't annoyed by what he considered presumptuousness — he was surprised by Teresa's courage.

This little thing — she had already been so anxious that she didn't dare make any more requests, afraid of angering him.

But now, why was she willing to summon her courage to beg him for someone else's sake?

Teresa met Herbert's searching gaze, ducked her head, instinctively wanting to shut her mouth, but still mustered her courage: "Um, it's like this — I have another companion."

"I… can I go find her? Big Sister Quinna saved me before. I don't want to leave her all alone."

Quinna?

Herbert vaguely felt the name sounded familiar. He was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Good. Not giving up on your companion — what you're doing is right. Since that's the case, you may take these blood thralls and go find your companion."

Although Teresa looked timid, the snake-haired girl herself was no weakling in combat — tough skin, thick flesh, high HP.

Add to that the six blood thralls, and as long as no Legendary showed up, it was enough for her to run rampant here.

And the Legendaries — they wouldn't have the leisure to pay attention to Teresa next, because they would certainly have their eyes drawn to Herbert.

"Listen, you need to be back within an hour… Also, do you know where she is?"

"I do!"

Teresa hadn't expected Herbert to agree so easily. She straightened up joyfully, nearly throwing herself at him.

"I know the place — it's in the cell where we were held before…"

As she spoke, her expression suddenly dimmed, and she shrank back again, murmuring: "But looking like this, she probably won't recognize me."

Before, she had still looked human — but now she had become a monster.

Teresa didn't know whether Quinna would still care for her like before, whether she could treat her the same way.

She raised her head blankly and said softly: "My lord, I really didn't look like this before… Will you believe me?"

"I believe you."

Herbert didn't hesitate. He nodded and said gently: "Your soul is just as pure as your appearance."

"As for whether your companion will believe you — that doesn't really matter. How did you two become companions?"

He spoke softly to the bewildered girl: "Was it because of what you used to look like? Certainly not."

"Far more important than appearance, always and forever, is the soul. As long as your soul remains pure and unchanged, no matter what your appearance becomes, you haven't truly changed."

"Besides, your current appearance isn't ugly at all."

This was no comforting lie — although the girl before him was in a sorry state, her looks were still quite outstanding.

Especially that thick, powerful big tail — it really fit Herbert's aesthetic. Wrapped around him, it would surely feel very comfortable.

"However, if you're really worried, I do have one more method."

Saying so, Herbert took off the cloak he wore to hide his hair and gently draped it over Teresa.

He had chosen this cloak in the first place to conceal his somewhat overly eye-catching hair color.

But now that he no longer planned to hide his identity and had decided to act boldly, there was no longer any need to keep wearing it.

"Wear this cloak when you go see her. Tell her about the changes first. If she can accept it, then come back together with her."

"And if she can't accept it, it won't hurt you too much."

He gave the girl's shoulder a light pat at the end: "No matter how your appearance is twisted by the curse, your soul hasn't been affected in the slightest."

"Still pure and beautiful."

Teresa was rendered somewhat speechless by Herbert's words and could only purse her lips and nod.

Her heart was a little complicated.

On one hand she felt Herbert was deliberately comforting her, but on the other she felt his words seemed to come from the heart.

"Alright, then let's split up. We'll draw some attention away for you — you take the chance to rescue your companion."

After quickly arranging things for Teresa, Herbert was about to take Elisa and leave this place.

But just as they were about to set out, he suddenly thought of another question and asked out of nowhere: "Oh, right — if you really do discover in the future that you can't change back to your original form, what would you plan to do?"

Teresa was silent for a while, hugged the cloak to her chest, lowered her head, and said softly: "My lord, I would rather die than live on as a monster."

If this truly wasn't a curse, then she would rather end her own life.

"Sir Knight, I… is it really that I can't change back?"

The girl wasn't stupid — she could guess the meaning behind Herbert asking this question at this moment.

Herbert gazed deeply at the girl, nodded and smiled at her, and said firmly: "Don't worry. I promise you — you will definitely change back."

After receiving Herbert's firm assurance, the unease in the girl's heart eased a little. She bowed gratefully to him, then quickly left the place with the six blood thralls.

Herbert watched the girl leave, then slowly shook his head.

He wasn't lying; the girl indeed had a chance to return to her original form—if she mastered her bloodline power, she could revert to a human appearance.

Moreover, strangely, the girl was unaffected by the blood ritual; her soul remained utterly serene.

At this moment, all the people of Maragas City were enveloped beneath this massive ritual that covered the entire city.

Everyone was within this domain, and their souls were inevitably affected to some degree.

They became more susceptible to manipulation, their desires easier to indulge… even Elisa was not spared; she grew more irritable and easily provoked than usual.

Herbert was immune to all of this because of Nie Nasha deep within his soul, untouched by the domain.

What was she relying on?

Was it the Gorgon bloodline that rendered her immune to such effects?

"Won't you tell her the truth? She isn't cursed," Elisa suddenly asked the question she'd long wondered about.

She clearly saw no curse on the girl—only that her alien bloodline had awakened.

Yet Herbert deliberately concealed this, silently accepting Teresa's claim that she was cursed.

Herbert sneered, irritably: "Of course, so she won't go to extremes."

"You'd be that kind?" Elisa expressed strong skepticism.

"What kind of thing is that to say? Of course I would!"

Herbert snorted, then his expression softened slightly as he whispered:

"She may not accept it now, but one day, she'll realize her bloodline has nothing to be ashamed of."

"One day, Teresa will understand just how alluring her tail really is… cough, I mean, how powerful it is!"

Hee hee hee, almost let slip my fetish.

I don't have any special fondness for thick tails, do I?

I don't!

Elisa didn't notice his slip; she gazed at Herbert with a complex expression and said uncertainly: "You… really are tender in the strangest places."

To a Holy Knight, the girl was supposed to be an alien race to be eradicated, yet Herbert showed considerable tenderness toward her.

No, not just toward Teresa.

Toward himself, toward the other alien prisoners in the Third Oath, Herbert had always been this way… treating them all equally.

Herbert remained calm, smiling: "Of course. I've always been this tender."

"Can't you be a little tender with me?" Elisa complained irritably.

Every time is so brutal—why can't you be tender with me like you are with them?

Seriously!

Herbert turned his head, asking with deep implication: "Are you sure? Do you really need me to be tender with you?"

"… "

Elisa fell silent.

Though she wanted to give a confident answer to save face, for some reason, she suddenly hesitated.

Those secret, petty desires within her heart surged violently at this moment.

"… "

She moved her lips, then slowly turned her head away, pretending nothing had happened.

Elisa yielded to her desire.

Yes, this was the domain of 【Craving Desire】, amplifying everyone's inner desires.

"Heh… let's go, no more dawdling—if we're any later, Svaney will have already acted," Herbert urged.

"Oh, alright… wait, you said Svaney?" Elisa nodded, ready to leave, but suddenly froze.

"Isn't it Virenlia?"

Why did I say my good friend Svaney?

"Oh, right, I misspoke—it's Virenlia."

Herbert's expression remained calm, as if genuinely embarrassed by the name mix-up: "After all, they're both Dark Elves; confusing them is understandable, isn't it?"

Through this simple test of Elisa's reaction, Herbert confirmed that Svaney had not revealed her true identity to her.

That meant Svaney was determined to go ahead alone… this conclusion weighed heavily on Herbert's heart.

Elisa didn't think much of it, muttering: "Don't let them hear you say that—it's hurtful."

Getting a name wrong is too cruel.

Besides, their names aren't even similar.

Relying on Herbert's innate talent for never getting lost, they swiftly moved toward the governor's mansion.

But Herbert and the others didn't travel far before stopping.

Not far beyond the place where Teresa had been attacked by assassins, they encountered an unexpected blocker.

It was a tall Dark Elf, entirely concealed beneath a black cloak, holding a bone staff, standing atop a corpse-dragon stitched together from chunks of flesh.

The figure stared fixedly at Herbert and the others, as if deeply pondering something.

Arriving this quickly!!?

Herbert's eyes flickered, confirming the man's identity and strength.

Legendary… and very likely a Legendary Peak Dark Elf mage!

Only eight assassins, none of them Legendary, were killed—was it really necessary to send out such a force?

As Herbert observed the newcomer, Douglas was also observing them.

And then he was disappointed—utterly disappointed.

"You… are too weak."

Crack, crack, crack.

He clenched his staff tightly, gritting his teeth as he growled: "Not enough, not nearly enough!"

Douglas had originally intended to make contact with the other party during this opportunity; if their strength was sufficient, he would invite them to carry out that task.

But now it seemed he had overestimated them.

Their strength was simply inadequate!

Although a Legendary-tier powerhouse was indeed formidable, it was still far from enough to deal with that monster, Stilla.

Not enough!

The more he had hoped before, the more disappointed he was now.

And this disappointment quickly turned to rage.

"Damn it!"

Completely devoid of any desire to continue speaking with them, Douglas chose to act immediately: "Worthless creatures don't deserve to live! Die!"

A torrent of negative energy shot from his staff, streaking toward Herbert's forehead—only to be deflected midair by a blood arrow.

"Trash, who are you calling worthless?!"

Eliza stepped in front of Herbert, sneering at Douglas: "Just a necromancer. Do you really think you're someone important?"

"Vampire?"

Douglas, who had been furious moments before, now grew excited upon recognizing Eliza's race.

"Good, good, good—my collection is missing exactly a Legendary vampire like you!"

Without another word, he commanded the earth dragon beneath his feet to charge at Eliza, while simultaneously summoning undead creations.

Even as he distracted himself with casting, he pulled a scroll from his robe and hurled it toward Eliza—he used a Legendary-tier 【Enslave Undead Creature】 scroll!

"Become my vassal!!!"

For a Legendary vampire, this was already his best, highest-tier response.

If their strength were insufficient, they would truly be stunned by Douglas's sequence of moves, their mind controlled, becoming this necromancer's vassal.

But the problem was, Eliza was no ordinary Legendary vampire.

Moreover, she already had a master!

"Want to be my master?"

Eliza completely ignored his Legendary scroll, sneering: "Bai Chi!"

With a flick of her finger, blood spikes erupted from the ground, skewering the charging corpse-earth dragon like a hedgehog.

Even as she faced him, she had already seeped her blood into the earth, ready to strike at any moment.

After her first counterattack, Eliza turned her head to Herbert: "I really don't need to hold back anymore. I can act, right?"

Herbert grinned widely and shouted encouragement: "Yes! Go all out—the louder and bigger the commotion, the better!"

"Hmph, fine. Let you see what true power looks like!"

She snapped her fingers; the blood on the ground rapidly gathered, transforming into a swarm of crimson, massive bats that surged toward the necromancer.

Swoosh—

But just as Eliza's blood constructs were about to collide again with Douglas's undead monsters, a terrifying roar echoed throughout the entire city.

Woof!!!

It sounded like an angry dog's bark—as if a vicious hound had broken free.

But soon, that bark shifted into another sound.

Roar!!!

The sound grew louder, closer, more terrifying.

"Above!"

Herbert looked up sharply and saw a massive shadow hurtling toward them.

A colossal figure, dozens of meters long, crashed down.

A giant black dog?

No no no.

At that size, how could it possibly be a dog?!

"Dragon? Is it a Shadow Dragon?"

Correct—it was a monstrous… dog-headed Shadow Dragon.

Herbert's eyes widened, and he blurted out: "No! Why does it have a dog's head?!"

(End of Chapter)