Chapter 587: The Situation

"Rosalía?"

Beside the brand-new commercial street still under construction within Coral Bay.

Rod, who was on a bored patrol, was startled upon hearing Witch Witch Di Mi Ya's words.

"She appeared among the conscription regiment?"

"Yes, we didn't expect it either."

Witch Witch Di Mi Ya walked alongside him.

In April, the Twilight Hills no longer showed any trace of the death desert's sandstorms.

The bright spring sun hung high.

The witch's skin was unusually delicate, so Witch Di Mi Ya had no choice but to put her wide-brimmed mage's hat back on.

She wore a mage's robe embroidered with various magical patterns.

But the Young Lady witch was a fashion-conscious person, and naturally wouldn't just wear a loose-fitting garment suited for everyone.

The mage's robe had clearly been tailored.

Pinched at the waist and bust, the bouncing ample bosom was perfectly cradled and wrapped by the cinched waistline through the fabric.

Achieving a perfect balance with the slightly flared skirt.

The collar had also been loosened slightly.

Revealing snow-white, delicate collarbones and a small portion of her shoulders, adding a touch of elegance and poise.

Clearly a mature, alluring, and fiery figure and outfit.

But every time he saw her.

What Rod wanted to pinch wasn't anywhere else, but that baby-faced, cherubic little face of hers.

"Didn't she say she was going to join that Shadow of the Wind thing?"

Rod hadn't attended the conscription regiment's welcome ceremony.

That was the official business of Shi Ying Town.

"I saw the Storm's Eye emblem of Shadow of the Wind among the conscription regiment, but there were only about ten of them, and judging by the distance between them, it's very likely Shadow of the Wind was pulled in along the way."

Witch Di Mi Ya said so.

"What was her attitude? Did she say anything to you?"

"No, the people from their Shadow of the Wind stuck together, probably wary of the official conscription regiment, not even making eye contact. I hate this kind of situation, it's as if we're going to be opposed to Rosalía."

The Young Lady witch was a little downcast.

Although she had held a high position in Shi Ying Town for no short time, she was actually younger than Rod.

It was only natural for her to feel a bit wistful and melancholic.

And besides.

She was still an emotionally rich smut novelist, who had previously been so tormented by writer's block that her witch constitution's magic went out of whack.

Rod chuckled.

Pointing at the commercial street beside them.

"Yesterday, someone from the Snow Hills Evening News came to talk to Watching Yuna, saying they wanted to open a branch office in Coral Bay, and promised to open a bookstore here. I thought of you, so I agreed, and suggested he divide the bookstore into two sections, one for general titles, one for adult titles."

Witch Di Mi Ya knew he was teasing her about the smut books she'd bought before.

A blush crept onto her baby-faced cheeks as she protested:

"What do you mean you thought of me? I don't buy them that often!"

Shi Ying Town had gone through a period of strict crackdowns on the surge of outsiders, which Rosalía had personally spearheaded, making it very hard for legitimate smut bookstores to gain recognition.

So Witch Di Mi Ya had to disguise herself and sneak into gray areas just to buy smut books for reference, terrified of being seen by acquaintances.

After all, she was an official.

Knowing Fa Fan Fa would be going too far.

If a bookstore could open in Coral Bay, it would save a lot of worry!

Just as she was getting excited.

Witch Di Mi Ya suddenly caught Rod looking at her with a grin, and her eyes flickered with panic for a moment.

"Let's talk business! This conscription regiment isn't weak—even excluding the Shadow of the Wind people, there are five at the eighth tier, and the others are probably well-versed in coordinated formations, plus over a dozen hero candidates!"

"Over a dozen hero candidates... Are the people from their Yige Sect wholesale or something?"

"I guess there's a Half-Deer Hero Bestower cooperating with them, mass-producing people with 【Hero Amplification】 to boost combat power."

"It's probably not cooperation."

Rod sneered coldly.

The halfling Lily said 【Hero Amplification】 consumes lifespan.

Two or three hero candidates and one Hero Bestower can still maintain a balance, but over a dozen candidates...

The Half-Deer's 【Hero Bestowers】 only number thirty-six in total.

Rod really didn't believe they'd be willing to send over a dozen of them to join some ridiculous conscription regiment instead of going about their own righteous business of setting things right.

No need to think about it.

The Yige Sect must have controlled one or two Hero Bestowers, and forcibly converted everyone meeting the basic criteria into candidates.

Which means the quality of this batch of candidates is highly questionable.

As they spoke.

The two of them kept walking outward.

From Witch Di Mi Ya's account.

This conscription regiment produced a tax authorization letter from Gale City, claiming they were auditing accounts and taxes for Shi Ying Town on Gale City's behalf.

Things like this—well, aside from wartime, Stormwind City hasn't been governing affairs these past few months either.

Shi Ying Town itself has to survive too—expanding territory, training troops to resist Coral Bay—the tax revenue was never going to look good to begin with.

Investigate one, and not a single one speaks up.

But those in the know understand, this is just the conscription party's way of extorting resources.

The old gentleman Humbert and the other Shi Ying Town council members have already prepared Jin Along, just waiting for the right moment to send him off and see him gone.

Rod knows there's nothing to be done about this.

The Aetheron Kingdom's prestige still lingers—sending a dozen legendary mages to wash the ground with legendary spells is still no problem at all.

Didn't you see the casualty reports—the number of mages killed can be counted on one hand.

The ones dying are all Spirit Warriors and various cannon fodder.

Rod isn't afraid.

But it's troublesome! The others might not necessarily be able to hold out either!

Spending money is a particularly good way to solve problems—any problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem.

Rod considers himself a respectable person.

If this conscription party can pass by with dignity this time, that would naturally be best.

If not—

Then there's no choice—let the blood flow like a river.

After the two finished discussing the conscription party matters.

Rod instinctively began saying some amusing things.

Laughing as he went, he had already arrived at the grassland outside Coral Bay.

Dimia was amused from time to time, her cheeks already flushed red.

A light breeze swept past.

Her whole body stiffened, suddenly aware of the reluctance in her heart.

No good, can't keep chatting any longer!

Otherwise she'd be letting Sharon down!

This man is poisonous! He can hook others' heartstrings and not let them leave!

"Th-then I'll take my leave here, Rod. Pan Ni and I made plans to sweep the bandit nest over at Kura Hills."

She panicked for a moment, forcefully suppressing the ripples in her heart.

She immediately politely bowed and said goodbye.

Rod hadn't noticed either, and was just about to wave goodbye.

"Miss Dimia, you're here! I was just wondering why I couldn't find you. Didn't you say this morning you'd take us to deal with the chaos at Dusk Hills?"

A frivolous man's voice rang out from not far away.

Mingled with the scraping of armor and heavy footsteps.

Rod looked toward the sound.

He saw five men rising up from the hillside.

Fine armor, unfamiliar faces.

No need to say it—one look and you could tell they were from the conscription party.

The witch Dimia frowned and explained softly: "They're all hero candidates from the conscription party. I exchanged a few pleasantries with them when hosting them this morning, and they actually came."

Rod scrutinized them closely.

Their ranks were really not low—all five were Seventh-Tier.

And young, wearing arrogant and dismissive expressions.

The conscription party had clearly traveled a long way, yet not a single scratch marked their armor—one could imagine how comfortable their time had been and how highly they'd been pampered.

(End of this chapter)