[Vol. 8] Chapter 44: Provocation
Most of the wild tribes value strength a lot. So, in front of them, you can’t look too weak. Showing some power first can actually help in the talks that come later. The Saintess had dealt with these kinds of people many times before, so she understood this very well.
She stood at the city gate with her sword, guarding the place. After everyone had entered the fortress, Frederica looked at the hundreds of tribe soldiers lying knocked out all over the place. She then called the captain of the Inquisitors who had just taken control of the wall.
“Did they send any call for help?”
“Following your order, Your Holiness, we gave these soldiers a chance. The forces still inside the fortress should have noticed what’s happening here now.”
“Good job. Go prepare.”
“Yes, praise the Goddess.”
The Inquisitor bowed respectfully and left.
The Iron Ridge Fortress was not too big, but not too small either. The group wasn’t just a few people. If they wanted to cross from east to west and leave the country, they would definitely meet patrol guards along the way. It was better to talk directly with the leaders here and explain their attitude and plans than to risk unnecessary fights later.
Even though it was a bit risky to talk first when fighting was possible, as always, it’s best to avoid battle if possible.
“Captain Leonard, tell everyone to get ready. If the talks fail, we will have to use Plan B and force our way through the gates by fighting. Me and the two angels will clear the way at the front. You will be in charge of managing the whole team. Remember, don’t get caught up in fighting. Especially protect the students and scholars who can’t fight. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Holiness, don’t worry!”
After making all the preparations they could, Frederica and the two angels exchanged a look and nodded quietly. They could already hear the sound of many footsteps and running in the distance. Frederica put her hand on the handle of her holy sword, which was not yet drawn, and focused her eyes.
“...Come on, the road ahead will be decided by what happens here.”
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At the same time, deep inside the fortress, in an empty alley, a young cute girl wearing a fine black dress and small dragon horns on her head quietly walked out from the golden flames rising high into the sky. She came to meet two girls who had been waiting there for a long time.
“...Looks like it went well. The summoning worked.”
As soon as she appeared, the blonde little girl turned her head and looked around. She sent out invisible spiritual energy, as if checking and studying the surroundings. After a moment, the dragon-shaped flames rising to the sky slowly went out. The dark clouds in the sky, which showed a god’s arrival, disappeared. The golden magic circle shining on the ground faded away until it completely vanished. Only then did she finally meet the sharp gaze of a tall golden dragon girl and turn back to look at the two girls.
“Ding ding~ ding ding~”
The small bells hanging from her white, tender ankles made a clear ringing sound. The little dragon named Light naturally walked forward and gently rubbed her head against the priestess’s slightly flat chest.
The sharp gaze on her back grew even stronger.
As if not noticing the cold look from the dragon, the young little dragon girl, although still very young, was already smarter and a bit more cunning than her older sister. After this brief moment of closeness, she stepped back a little and gave a small formal nod to the two girls.
“Sister Violet, and Sister Xiao Guang, long time no see~ I mean... it’s nice to meet properly like this.”
“I already know most of what’s going on. Recently, those Austre Empire people have been making constant schemes in the Dragon Mountains, trying again and again to control their pawns and show off their little tricks. I’ve wanted to teach them a good lesson for a long time. This time, we’ll settle it all at once.”
When the young Dragon God lady started talking about serious matters right away, her face didn’t show much expression, but she seemed especially interested. Violet smiled helplessly and habitually patted her on the head.
“I believe Light knows what she’s doing. Then this matter is yours now. Go ahead and show those people who think they’re smart what the anger of a god looks like. We’ll take care of things here.”
“Okay, I’m leaving now. You two sisters be careful too. I’ve never met the so-called ancient gods, but since they’re all called ‘gods,’ they must have some power.”
“We know, we know! Hurry and get to work! Why are you so talkative? Do you think I’m less reliable than you, a little kid?”
The other Dragon God lady waved her hands impatiently to shoo her away. The blonde little girl knew her sister’s feelings and that she meant no harm, so she didn’t get angry. She smiled softly, nodded, then turned and transformed into a bright dragon-shaped light, flying up into the sky. With a loud roar and bright flames shaking the world, she headed east.
The people in the Valandia Province who saw this scene wouldn’t be few.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps chasing after the shining dragon light slowly came from afar. Violet looked at her little pet with a funny smile as it pouted, but she didn’t say much. She just nodded slightly and summoned pure, flawless holy wings.
“Let’s get moving too. Let’s go see if that so-called ‘Child of the Ancestor God’ still has the courage to cause trouble under these conditions.”
"Hmph, I hope he won't run away in fear."
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[......]
In a dark red room that seemed to be made from flesh and blood, black crystal stones twisted again under some strange power, forming a blurry human shape full of godly and ancient feelings. It leaned against a throne made of living flesh. The crystal-like stone eye sockets shifted their gaze to the loyal followers gathered there, waiting respectfully.
Among them was a strong bug-like man holding a giant axe, covered in armor; a beautiful woman with thin, smooth butterfly wings and a dreamy aura; and several other strange figures, six or seven in total. Each gave off a strong and frightening power, clearly top experts who had reached the level of myths.
Yet, this group of very powerful beings, who could easily dominate many countries, fell into an eerie silence in front of that black, rough stone. Not one dared to make a sound. Especially the beautiful butterfly-winged woman looked so scared she almost hid her face in her full chest, as if afraid to show even the smallest disrespect that might anger the thunder god and cause her to be shattered.
After a long time, the god named [Wild] finally spoke in a mysterious, hard-to-understand divine language.
[Did you all feel it?]
The followers, called Divine Envoys, looked at each other. Finally, the strongest and deepest one, the bug-like man with the giant axe, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and spoke.
“May I ask, Your Divineness, are you referring to the strong power that just came from the east?”
[Wild] didn’t answer this careful question. Instead, He turned to look at the trembling butterfly woman.
[Flora, remember you said that last night, two mysterious women broke into the fortress inside the Soul Eater Mother Bug’s body. One of them clearly had dragon features, right?]
“Ah!”