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Join the ServerTheresia leaned her hands on the table, her gaze burning with intensity. “Brothers, based on the current situation, we have both good news and bad news.”
“First, the good news is that we likely won’t have to pay for our previous actions, nor will we need to repair the roof of this notoriously corrupt mayor.”
“The bad news is, judging by that ‘Ninja Turtle’ mayor’s performance and his lack of doubt regarding Theodore’s and my identities, it’s clear these individuals, even if not the exact group who intercepted us during the spatial transfer, are closely linked to them. They’ve likely received instructions from that ‘Clown’ adult to keep us here.”
Though the mayor believed he had spun an impeccable tale, Theresia and her companions, having unexpectedly emerged from a spatial transfer, were in a state of heightened alert. While ‘every bush and tree looks like an enemy soldier’ might be an exaggeration, they were certainly ‘hearing the wind and cranes.’ The mayor’s demeanor was simply too welcoming, too devoid of suspicion.
Not only did he show no surprise at their arrival, but when Theresia and the others explicitly stated their identities, he immediately believed them.
Was that a normal reaction?
Their group consisted of two bloodline users, an elf princess, an imperial prince, a black dragon, and a giant. Such a formidable team was enough to cause a huge commotion anywhere. Yet, the mayor remained extraordinarily calm, unless he had already been psychologically prepared.
Theodore, the cunning strategist, spoke up. “From their current preparations, it seems the other party didn’t anticipate us emerging from the transfer portal and arriving here. Therefore, the mastermind needs time to lay a second trap for us. Based on the mayor’s words and actions so far, the trap will either be tonight or tomorrow at the mine’s location.”
“Should we leave now?” Alicia suggested. “They probably aren’t fully prepared yet. If we leave directly at this moment, there’s a good chance we can escape their control once more.”
Theresia nodded. A wise person does not stand under a crumbling wall. While she was no wise person, but rather a black dragon with questionable morals, it still felt somewhat unsettling to simply depart.
Theodore also commented, “That’s true, but if we leave without understanding who targeted us this time, we’ll have no way to guard against them in the future. I don’t believe they would put so much effort into targeting us only to accept a fruitless outcome.”
“I think we should kill everyone in this house,” Lola declared, her eyes gleaming with destructive intent. She held several magic artifacts developed by the Holy Light Church. “As long as we eliminate them all, no one will bother us again. This place can become our territory, and we can convert it into a fortress. Any enemies who come will be swiftly dealt with!”
Excellent. Lola was consistently reliable; even dark elves would call her ‘brother.’ Could anyone believe that among this diverse group of races, the most decisive was an elf?
Theresia looked at Lola. She had always thought Lola was an extremist, but perhaps she was still too conservative?
However, acting rashly seemed a bit too dismissive of their opponents. After all, striking without knowing their identities would at least imply they were targeting something related to dragons.
Theodore offered his assessment. “That’s too extreme. Setting aside whether the people living in this mansion are innocent, simply killing them all would likely alert the enemies outside. If they have countermeasures specifically for us, we would be put on the defensive.”
Lola reluctantly retracted her suggestion. Honestly, she had quite a few items that needed experimentation on subjects that could be killed, yet weren’t easily killed.
Finally, Theodore and Theresia turned their gazes to Aesop. Generally, as long as food ingredients and cooking weren’t involved, he was a normal person with extensive combat experience.
“How about I scout this house? With my abilities combined with Aesop’s speed, exploring the entire mansion shouldn’t take long. If they intend to make a move against us in this house tonight, there will undoubtedly be some anomalies.”
Alicia proposed, “I’ll go with Aesop.”
Aesop replied without hesitation, “My abilities are better suited for solo operations.”
Evidently, he was very adept at refusing others.
“Then, Aesop, you can start trying to cooperate with me today. It will be a beautiful beginning.”
More evidently, Alicia was very adept at handling refusals.
“Mr. Aesop, while your bloodline power is formidable, your perception of traps and auras isn’t particularly outstanding. Not every place can be bypassed with that sort of cheat-like bloodline power, especially since you can’t maintain that state for long.”
Ever since their impending marriage was confirmed, Alicia had changed the way she addressed Aesop, calling it ‘adapting in advance’ to prevent her ‘barbarian’ parents from realizing they were merely acting.
Theodore nodded upon hearing this. When they had previously ventured into the labyrinth, most of the traps were disarmed and discovered by Alicia. In terms of sensing auras and danger, Alicia was indeed exceptional.
“I agree.”
Theresia wasn’t very familiar with Alicia’s professional skills, but she was quite familiar with Aesop’s obsession with cooking and ingredients.
Should Aesop wander off and suddenly discover someone putting pineapple on a pizza, then decide to take that person down with him, it was always good to have a reliable teammate nearby to intervene.
Lola wasn’t interested in this discussion. She was busy organizing her belongings, assessing which magical items she could test this time.
The overwhelming numerical advantage forced Aesop to accept the reality that his ‘wife’ would be working by his side.
Theodore added, “However, I think we should establish an overall strategy: this time, we’ll adopt a conservative approach towards the enemy. Our primary goal isn’t annihilation, but rather to gather as much information about them as possible. If a dangerous situation arises, we should immediately attempt to withdraw.”
Uncertain if the enemy would come, we’ll proceed with modifying the entire room based on our actions, ensuring concealment. We must not be detected by the enemy before we decide to act.
Lola’s eyes lit up, and she flashed a villainous smile. “Excellent! Leave this to me. I’ve created quite a few peculiar contraptions at the Holy Light Church, and this is the perfect opportunity to test them properly.”
At these words, everyone’s bodies suddenly stiffened. The ‘Holy Light Church’s financial terminator,’ the ‘laboratory killer,’ the ‘alchemy brute’s’ peculiar contraptions.
‘They wouldn’t self-destruct with the enemies, would they?’
Theresia mused for a moment, then gently cupped Lola’s face, looking at her with a knowing smile. “You wouldn’t, because I’m a black dragon, for many reasons, Aesop has an invincible skill, Alicia has an extremely strong physique, plan to use some highly dangerous magic items that might accidentally harm us, would you?”
‘Because my teammates are powerful, I’ll go all out to screw them over.’
Lola, who harbored a tiny sliver of such a thought, felt Theresia’s gaze pierce her soul. Her body trembled, and she quickly said, “How could I?”
“You’d better not,” Theresia said, stroking Lola’s head. “Of course, I trust you.”
Lola nodded vigorously, then heard Theresia add, “Lola, do you know? I also know a little about the dragon race’s methods for dealing with those on death row. They’re punishments that make even dragons feel excruciating, heart-wrenching pain, making them wish they could die immediately.”
Lola shivered, quietly putting away a few small gadgets she had pulled out. She said nervously, “Hahaha, how could I do anything to harm everyone? Don’t worry, absolutely not.”
“I’m absolutely relieved, hahaha,” Theresia said casually. “How could I do such things to trustworthy companions? Don’t be scared, I was just talking.”
After scaring little Lola’s face pale, Aesop began to move. Theresia and the others returned to their rooms to avoid arousing the mayor’s suspicion.
However, they simply broke open connecting doors. They had only the mayor to blame for arranging an entire row of rooms for them, so they resorted to physically opening doors.
Since the other party harbored ill intentions anyway, there was no need to worry about damaging furniture. After that, they quietly awaited news from Aesop and Alicia.
****
Stealth missions with a partner were highly unsuited for Aesop. Many obstacles, like walls, he could typically phase through with his abilities, but Alicia had strictly forbidden it.
Aesop said weakly, “Please, I’ll just go in for a quick look and come right out. Didn’t you say you didn’t sense any living aura inside anyway?”
However, the next second, Alicia suddenly strode over with powerful resolve, cornering Aesop against the wall. They stood pressed tightly together, her bright, clear eyes fixed on his.
By height, Aesop should have had the advantage, but being looked down upon by Alicia made him unconsciously feel a little guilty.
“Aesop, you’re becoming overly reliant on your abilities,” Alicia remarked, her hands encircling Aesop’s waist. “Using unconventional methods certainly helps avoid many conventional surveillances and traps, but it also reduces your chances of discovering those traps yourself. You can’t maintain that state indefinitely.”
As she spoke, a magic artifact appeared in Alicia’s hand, which she dangled before Aesop’s eyes. “For example, this alarm, set up outside but connected to the room. Aesop, you probably don’t have experience as a scout, do you?”
Aesop looked bewilderedly over his shoulder, discovering a small hole in the corner of the wall. Clearly, the magic artifact in Alicia’s hand had been removed from there. “…Indeed, I don’t. When I encounter such situations, I either leave or go straight for a decapitation. This time, I owe it to you, Alicia. So, can we go now?”
Aesop felt a little uncomfortable. They were too close, and Alicia’s scent continuously wafted into his nostrils. Her soft body was also stimulating him; though he had dedicated his life to the culinary arts, he was still a hot-blooded young man…
However, Alicia had no intention of letting him off so easily. She abruptly cupped Aesop’s head, pulling it down until their foreheads gently touched. “Aesop, this is just the beginning. I told you, didn’t I? We need to spark a revolution among the barbarians. The elders in the tribe are all old-fashioned, so we must have seamless cooperation. Therefore, you cannot reject me. Try to accept me, understand me, adapt to my presence by your side, alright?”
Aesop’s mind was in disarray. He desperately wanted to break free from his current state. He nodded instinctively but then realized his head was being held by Alicia. He couldn’t even turn his head to avert his gaze. He could only suppress the turmoil in his heart and meet Alicia’s eyes, saying with firm conviction, almost like reciting wedding vows, “Understood, Alicia. I won’t reject your presence by my side anymore. I will adapt.”
Without waiting for Aesop to speak further, Alicia released her hold on him with a satisfied expression.
“Then let’s continue, Aesop.”
Alicia grabbed Aesop’s hand. Aesop gasped for breath; his heart had been beating faster than when he’d simply picked Promen. His mind was hazy, like a man with a hangover, and he stumbled forward, only to be caught by Alicia once more.
Aesop jumped, exclaiming, “I told you, I will cooperate with you!”
Alicia chuckled softly. “I just wanted to remind you, Aesop, that’s the direction to the kitchen. We need to look for clues related to the mayor now.”
Aesop: “…”
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