Free Web NovelChapter 143: Chapter 95: My Loli Vampire is So Sweet
As the final stroke of the name was written, a magical glimmer flashed across the parchment, and the contract was sealed.
Lynch put away the contract with satisfaction and casually tossed a set of clean, common clothes to the other party.
"Alright, welcome to my team for the time being. Change into these. We’ll have to do something about your face later."
"From now on, your name is ’Aus,’ and you’re my attendant. Understand?"
"Un-understood, my lord." The Seventh Prince clutched the clothes, on the verge of tears.
And so, the night passed without incident.
The next day, Lynch set out once more with his reorganized party.
Sea Song Xiyin had changed into the simple dress of a human commoner girl. With makeup on her face, she looked just like a maid.
As for the Seventh Prince, he was dressed as a perfectly ordinary attendant.
Just like that, the group traveled south along the mountain path.
The next two days of travel were peaceful and uneventful. However, the closer they got to Red Ridge Territory, the more desolate the surroundings became. The trees grew sparser, the animals fewer, and even the weeds on the ground thinned out.
「On the third day.」
A human settlement built against a mountain appeared at the edge of their vision.
From a distance, the dusty gray houses were mostly low and simple, surrounding a central structure... which was less a castle and more a large stone fortress.
The fortress was built along a crimson ridge. Its walls looked mottled and ancient, and a banner hung limply from a tower.
’So that’s Red Ridge Territory?’ Lynch reined in Red Rabbit, his eyes narrowing.
Desolate. Far too desolate.
The settlement wasn’t large, and foot traffic was sparse. Looking around, besides humans, there were also quite a few stout figures, half-man half-horse beings, and some small, green-skinned goblins.
’The mix of people is so complex, it’s like a refugee camp or a black market on the frontier.’
And as for Red Ridge Castle...
The corner of Lynch’s mouth twitched.
’So this is supposed to be the garrison of a powerful battle group commander of the North Wind Legion? This thing... it’s probably no better than some earthen fort in a bandit stronghold that the hero of an adventure novel would topple with a wave of his hand.’
A sense of foreboding crept into Lynch’s heart.
Before entering the settlement, he checked everyone’s disguises one last time, recalled Red Rabbit into the Death Banner, and left only Bone Shadow to lurk in the shadows.
He then led Sea Song and Aus on foot through the deserted streets, heading toward Red Ridge Castle.
The closer he got to the castle, the more Lynch’s heart sank.
The guards stationed at the castle gate were casual in their posture. Some leaned against the doorway yawning, others were chatting with their heads together, and still others had their weapons propped carelessly on the ground...
Their military bearing was lax, their equipment was old and non-standard, and their eyes held none of the sharp spirit an elite unit should have.
’Th-this... this is the "mixed elite unit" led by Senior Brother Raymond?’ ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Lynch took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to turn around and leave.
’I’ve already come all this way. I should at least see my senior brother.’
He explained his purpose to one of the guards at the gate, introducing himself as the junior brother of Battle Group Commander Raymond, come from Saint Roland City. ƒreewebɳovel.com
When the guard heard he was the commander’s junior brother, he did drop some of his nonchalance. He said, "Wait a moment," and turned to go inside and announce him.
Before long, a middle-aged man in a scribe’s uniform with a rather troubled expression walked out quickly.
His gaze swept over Lynch’s group of three, lingering on Lynch for a moment before he said politely, "You must be Mage Lynch? The Commander is in his study. Please, follow me. And these two are..."
He looked at Sea Song and Aus.
"My maid and my attendant," Lynch said flatly.
"Oh, very well. If you two would please have some refreshments in the parlor first." The scribe had someone lead Sea Song and Aus to a nearby hall, then guided Lynch through a dimly lit corridor deeper into the castle.
As they walked, the more Lynch observed, the colder his heart grew.
The corridor walls hadn’t been properly cleaned in who knows how many years; they were mottled with stains. The windowpanes hadn’t been wiped in ages either, appearing hazy, with some even chipped or broken.
The air was filled with the faint stench of mildew and... hmm, was that the smell of livestock?
The few soldiers and servants they occasionally passed all looked listless and apathetic, just going through the motions.
’He had still harbored a sliver of fantasy, thinking that perhaps his senior brother was biding his time, playing weak to catch a bigger foe. But now, that fantasy was completely shattered.’
’This wasn’t playing the pig... this was just...’
’Genuinely awful~!!’
Lynch’s composure was starting to crack, but by now, he had already followed the scribe to the door of the study.
The scribe stepped forward to knock.
But just then, a furious roar and the loud SLAM of a hand on a desk erupted from the study, followed by the crisp sound of shattering porcelain.
"This is too much! That old bastard Jais has gone too fucking far~!"
"Those maggots in the Legion’s logistics department banished me to this godforsaken shithole, and on top of that, they didn’t give me a single decent soldier. All I got was the fucking trash kicked out of other legions—troublemakers, and even the old, weak, sick, and disabled!"
"And the equipment! What kind of garbage is this? And those bullshit supplies! After everyone takes their cut, what reaches my hands isn’t even enough to feed the rats."
"What kind of place is Red Ridge Mountain? It’s dirt poor, Magical Beasts are running rampant, and those bastards from the Draenei Brotherhood are elusive as ghosts. These maggots, they want me to die here!!"
The curses and complaints shot out from under the door like a machine-gun barrage, thick with overwhelming resentment.
Lynch froze, his mouth twitching. A powerful urge to turn and run surged through him.
’If I leave now, can I still make it?’
"Ahem!" The guiding scribe, however, seemed used to this. He coughed loudly twice and raised his voice. "Commander, your junior brother, Mage Lynch from the Hurst Royal Extraordinary Academy, has arrived."
The angry shouting inside stopped abruptly.
After a brief silence, the study door was pushed open from within.
A somewhat chubby, round-faced, middle-aged man with slightly thinning hair walked out.
His eyes landed on Lynch and immediately lit up. He then strode forward, grabbed Lynch’s hand, and began shaking it vigorously, his attitude brimming with enthusiasm.
"Ah, my goodness, you must be Junior Brother Lynch! Just as handsome and distinguished as they say! Mentor Annabella praised you to the high heavens in her letter. Come, come, come inside and have a seat."
"I’ve been waiting forever for you to arrive, I have. I was hoping and praying, and now you’re finally here."
Senior Brother Raymond’s palm was warm and strong, his smile sincere and eager.
But Lynch’s heart was turning to ice.
The last shred of hope in his heart vanished without a trace.
He forced a stiff smile onto his face and made a last-ditch effort. "Senior Brother, uh, you know, I just remembered... I have a few acres of crops back home that I forgot to harvest... I’ll be right back."
’It’s not too late for me to leave now, right!?’
...
