Chapter 175: The Silence of Arrogance

After the women of Demor finished their meeting and before Elizabeth and Morgana left for Pradiles...

The meeting room gradually emptied. Selyne and Valeria were among the first to leave, though the latter soon stopped and looked at her mother with a serious expression. Selyne noticed that her daughter had stopped following her, so she paused and frowned.

"What’s wrong? Let’s go," she gestured with her hand, expecting her to follow.

"Mother... was it Cassian? That time I found you with a man in your bed... was it him?"

Selyne’s eyes avoided hers, reluctant to answer.

Valeria seemed to take that silence as a definitive answer. She clenched her fist and looked at her mother with determination. "I won’t continue with what was discussed today. I’m leaving, Mother. I want to polish my sword and find my own path. Also..." For a moment she avoided her mother’s gaze, but quickly recovered. "I’m going to become stronger than you... and stronger than him. At least on the path of the sword. Take care of yourself."

Selyne looked at her daughter. She understood perfectly what she was thinking. If she believed her path was better taken alone, then she wouldn’t stop her. She approached her and embraced her tenderly. "Remember to come back when you grow tired of traveling. And don’t be reckless."

"Mmm," Valeria nodded.

Meanwhile, while this conversation was taking place outside, inside the meeting room only Elizabeth and Adela remained. The silence in the room was hard to bear, but both women looked at each other, understanding that they would likely be separated for quite some time.

The maid’s eyes narrowed. "Pradiles, then?"

"Mmm. Morgana needs me to accompany her if she wants to get close to the Empress. You..."

Adela looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Mmm, it’s the most logical thing."

Both nodded at the same time and quickly stood up to go their separate ways.

...

In the city of Frein, night had completely taken over. Cassian and Thalassa were resting, but outside the city walls...

"Xana!"

The beastwoman regained consciousness and looked around in confusion. She stood up, glanced toward the city entrance, then at the guards who hadn’t noticed she had woken up. With a stealthy movement, she retreated, melting into the night until she stopped in a place where she wouldn’t draw attention.

She looked at the city walls with reluctance and murmured:

"Money... Xana has none."

Her wolf tail swayed as she searched for a way to enter, but the walls weren’t in good condition either, and for someone as agile as her, climbing them wouldn’t be a problem. This time, instead of rushing in recklessly, she took advantage of the night to sneak in silently, using her sense of smell to guide her toward the inn where Thalassa and Cassian were resting.

Her eyes shone when she spotted her prey, but doubt crossed her gaze for a moment. The she-wolf looked up at the slightly full moon, then at the darkened room, letting out a frustrated whimper. She lowered her excitedly wagging tail and murmured, "Xana won’t interrupt. Xana will wait..."

With that said, she retraced her steps and lay down directly on the ground to rest, waiting for dawn in the cold solitude of the forest.

Inside the inn, Cassian had sensed the woman’s arrival. He smiled in amusement and murmured, "Should I go see her? I don’t plan on letting Thalassa win the bet, do I?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes again. "We’ll see tomorrow..." he said, adopting a lazy posture and returning to his "sleeping" state.

The next day, Thalassa, her face radiant from a good night’s rest, looked at Cassian happily. He, on the other hand, yawned in response and closed his eyes again.

The mermaid raised an eyebrow but let him do as he pleased and went downstairs to have breakfast. The people in that city seemed to treat her especially well; even though she only asked for something simple, they kept bringing her more food. When she finished, she thanked everyone and went to gather her things to drag that man out, ready to continue the journey.

It didn’t take them long to get back into the carriage. However, on the outskirts of the city, it wasn’t the wolf woman who was waiting for them, but a huge army with its banners waving and luxurious armor, approaching the area.

"The reinforcements have arrived!" people could be heard saying in the streets.

"Finally, Her Majesty Denisse has sent help to this poor city!"

"What are you talking about? Frein is a strategic location for the Weaver Empire; it would be stupid of them to abandon us."

"Shh... If they hear you, they won’t forgive you."

The man leading the entire army at the vanguard was the first to approach. Although he frowned upon seeing a carriage blocking his path, he decided to ignore it and turned his attention arrogantly toward the city guards.

The man released his ninth-level aura with pride to pressure them and declared, "The Third Sword of the Empire is here to deal with the beasts. We expect your full cooperation with supplies and lodging."

Sounds of confusion and displeasure followed his words.

"Supplies?" murmured one of the citizens, incredulous.

"Didn’t they bring any? Besides, the beasts left a long time ago..."

But the complaints stopped abruptly when the pressure of the man’s aura expanded again, this time directed at everyone present, forcing them into silence.

The people lowered their heads in submission, while Cassian’s carriage began moving again, completely ignoring him and earning a deep frown from the man in the center.

He made a dismissive gesture upon seeing the vehicle show no signs of respect, drew his sword with elegance, and sent an aura-enhanced slash toward the carriage. Then he looked away as if the matter was already settled and dismounted from his horse.

However, the murmurs of disbelief from the crowd made him look back toward where his sword had struck. To his surprise, although the vehicle had stopped, it remained completely intact.

The door opened slowly, and a woman of ethereal beauty stepped out.

Upon seeing her, the man raised his eyebrows in surprise, smiled arrogantly, and offered a false apology: "My apologies for my outburst. I didn’t know someone of such... elegance was inside. Your carriage seems quite sturdy."

Thalassa narrowed her eyes, but a chill ran down her spine, and it wasn’t because of the hypocrite’s words.

Behind him, the army of men — ranging from the fifth to seventh level, and even some at the eighth level of energy — suddenly felt their blood accelerate. And in the next instant, they, along with the man who had stopped the wrong person, exploded in a burst of blood, staining the ground beneath them and leaving only the confused horses standing in place.

The citizens of Frein rubbed their eyes, unable to understand what had happened. Thalassa only showed a brief look of fear before quickly composing herself, then got back into the carriage as it began moving again.

Silence...

The silence of arrogance.