Chapter 410: Highway Robbery

Rod watched the two girls leave.

Compared with Lady Kali's clean, no-looking-back departure, Rat Girl Number Thirteen seemed far more reluctant.

She looked back almost every three steps, glancing at Rod, then at her elven mistress.

Even without words, the puzzlement on her face could voice one question: why wasn't she going with Rod.

She bounced and skipped the whole way, never serious for a moment.

In the end it took Lady Kali snapping at her a couple of times before Thirteen drooped her head and silently followed behind her.

"Looking at scenic spots and all that is completely meaningless — what's always mattered is who you see the scenery with~"

Tally suddenly mimicked Rod's way of speaking in a snarky tone, letting out an annoyed huff.

"Master, when are you ever going to say sweet nothings like that to me? What's so great about that elf? I can shapeshift too!"

"Tally, personality matters too. Just imagine — a woman who's usually high and mighty, throwing nasty words at you, but in bed she's all meek and respectful, barking like a dog, begging you to have your way with her. Isn't that exciting?"

"Hiss— seems like it is a bit! So Master, when are you going to bark like a dog and beg me to have my way with you? I'll definitely squeeze you bone dry!"

"Heh, talk to me after you've beaten me in a Gao Chao match. This morning, when you finished for the second time, I had only just released."

This match was the first forest-bed war Tally had launched in her own name.

Though she herself had never won a single one.

"Hmph! I'll win sooner or later!"

The two walked along the broad shoulder of the trade road.

Chatting as they went.

Perhaps because Deep Water City wasn't far.

This stretch of road was built of carefully laid stone blocks and firm soil, able to bear the passage of large wagons and caravans, fitted with drainage ditches, a shoulder for pedestrians, mile markers, and signposts.

Not far ahead, Rod even spotted a vacant, half-open rest station, where a caravan happened to be watering their animals and taking a break.

He couldn't help sighing — Deep Water City really was rich.

Dusk Hills had trade roads like this too.

When Rod went to Jade City for his advancement last year, he'd traveled the trade road, but that stretch was almost entirely packed earth — basically just ruts worn in by wheels.

Forget about a city like Blazing City, whose GDP clearly didn't measure up.

Even the wealthy Jade City only had stone paving for the last three or four kilometers before the city gates.

Stone roads like this, with constant foot and cart traffic, were a real hassle to maintain and needed frequent repairs — even with a mage's help it was the same, and the cost was nothing if not steep.

And then there's the fact that the various races on this continent — you can't exactly say they have culture, you can only say they have nothing to do with basic decency.

A perfectly good big stone like that just sitting in the ground — isn't that a waste?!

Pry it out and let me build a house with it — fits just right!

So, to be able to build a trade road stretching all the way to Axehead Shoal, at least the people living nearby should have a shred of personal quality about them

— right?

"Robbery!!"

While he was thinking this.

A furious roar erupted from the small grove ahead!

"Uh—"

Immediately after came rustling sounds through the bushes and weeds, the clash of metal weapons, and a hissing — mixed in among them.

He took a closer look.

A band of half-human, half-snake land nagas streamed out of the forest one after another — thirty or forty of them — and surrounded the caravan at the rest station tight as a drum.

At once, shouting, cursing, and screaming erupted into chaos.

The caravan's guards were mostly humans, with two half-beasts mixed in.

They all drew their weapons, faces tense, forming a ring with the caravan master protected at the very center.

The caravan master was an old man and a young one — looked like father and son — and right now panic was written across their faces too.

"Land nagas robbing people, Master."

Tally said from the side.

Her tone was as flat as if she were commenting that the stream water was clear.

Couldn't blame her.

After all, the lot up ahead were all weaklings — guards and robbers combined couldn't scrape together a single fifth-tier.

"Normal. Land nagas love robbing caravans, sea nagas love robbing merchant ships — nagas are all like that."

"So should we go help? Tally wants to watch Master fight. Last time you fought the black dragon I didn't get to see it — just hearing you tell the story got Tally all hot and bothered~"

"No helping."

"Haha— Tally knew you'd say that. Because there aren't any girls in the caravan, right? You big pervert, Master~"

"No. A lion taking a rabbit, an old wolf snatching a sheep — it's all for survival, just the natural order. Besides, this is someone else's territory. As an outsider, I'd best mind my own business and not get tangled in karma."

"What does karma mean?"

Rod smiled and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

Then, through her clothes, he gave that thick, soft mound a gentle squeeze.

"Aiya~~ Master, you're so mean~~"

Tally said "mean," but with a shy look she leaned in, pressing against his arm.

Then she raised her head, blushing bright red, and kissed Rod.

Don't mistake the blush for shyness — it's just basic succubus shapeshifting.

"So how about we duck into that grove for a quick one? Just in time to wait for them to finish."

"No, we'll go around. You've already had your daytime portion today."

Rod refused her suggestion.

The succubus was now fed on a fixed schedule and fixed amount—practically the same as training a dog.

"Aww—don't wanna~~ Tally wants a snack~~~"

Acting coquettishly.

"Captain! There's a pair of wild lovebirds behind us!"

The land naga on the shore not far ahead suddenly roared and spotted them.

The one called captain was a land naga woman in half armor with a slightly rough, wild face; she had intended to ignore them.

A pair of wild lovebirds—what were they compared to the small merchant caravan before her?

"Wild lovebirds are wild lovebirds, why bother with—"

She glanced casually, then turned back.

Then immediately looked back again, shock on her face.

At the sight of Rod's tall, sturdy build and his handsome, Langying Sect-style face.

She froze on the spot, and pink hearts seemed to bloom in her gaze.

Then came greed and desire.

I want to have him.

That was the sole thought in this bandit squad captain's mind.

Rod naturally noticed the look in her eyes—the very same look Vivian gave him after a week of pent-up 【Lust Ke Yin】.

Tally, needless to say, looked at him like that basically every waking moment.

Only Rod hadn't expected—

That this kind of "forcibly seizing a decent man" plot would one day happen to him.

"That's my new husband! Grab him for me! Kill that whore beside him!!!"

The land naga squad captain roared.

"Captain, the Priestess told us not to kill anyone—"

"And what about this merchant caravan?"

"Leave a few to hold them off, then chase off that whore! My new husband comes first—oh heavens! He hits my sweet spot dead-on! I can't stand it! I'll take him on the spot!!!"

"."

Several land naga bandits didn't dare defy their captain's order, so they slithered their snake tails forward, casting pitying glances at Rod as they closed in.

That man was as good as dead.

The captain was known as "Sit-Down Soil-Sucker," currently the record-holder for fastest husband turnover in the clan.

A mere human constitution—within five days, he'd be drained to death for certain.

Rod, meanwhile, couldn't help being amused by her heated tone.

But Tally in his arms was unhappy, frowning in annoyance: "Master, may I kill them?"

"Just teach them a lesson." Since they had no killing intent, Rod couldn't be bothered to act.

"No, I want to kill them!"

"Suit yourself."

Tally suddenly looked up, flashing a dopey, ingratiating smile:

"Never mind then, I'll listen to Master. Today I'm puppy Tally, woof woof—Master, am I cute?"

"Passable, I guess. A bit over the top."

"Passable means good, so can you fill me up tonight? Tally woke up starving in the middle of the night last night."

(End of Chapter)