Chapter 33: Wrongly Accused

Fine, I’ll Take the Blame!

33: Wrongly Accused?

Fine, I’ll Take the Blame!

Chapter 33: Wrongly Accused?

Fine, I’ll Take the Blame!

About an hour later, the river they were following curved around a wide bend.

From somewhere up ahead, the faint sounds of clashing steel and guttural shouts drifted back to them, hinting at a battle of considerable scale.

Celeste and Selene exchanged a glance.

Suppressing their presence, they moved like shadows through the undergrowth, using the thick trunks of the trees as cover.

Parting a dense screen of reeds, they froze, the sight before them giving them pause.

The forest opened into a large clearing, in the center of which stood a crude Hobgoblin village.

It was a messy collection of huts fortified by rough-hewn wooden fences and walls of packed mud, far larger and more organized than the scattered encampments they had wiped out near the so-called “castle.” The settlement was teeming with activity; at least twenty or thirty Hobgoblins swarmed within its walls.

Among them were numerous [Hobgoblin Warriors Lv.20-22] wielding crude iron weapons and wearing scraps of leather armor.

More concerning were the few [Hobgoblin Shamans Lv.23] lurking in the rear, brandishing staves carved from bone.

Laying siege to this village was a surprisingly well-equipped, four-person squad.

A hulking [Berserker Lv.22] stood at the vanguard, his roars echoing as he hacked at the wooden fence with a massive axe.

In the backline, an [Elementalist Lv.21] chanted, sending a volley of fireballs and ice spikes arcing over the barrier to land with precision among the Hobgoblin ranks.

A nimble [Ranger Lv.20] circled the perimeter, his movements a fluid dance as his arrows unerringly sought out the Shamans and any goblin foolish enough to try and throw a spear.

The final member, a steadfast [Paladin Lv.21], guarded the Elementalist, his shield held ready as he occasionally stepped forward to support the Berserker with a heavy warhammer.

The squad’s coordination was impeccable.

Their assault was fierce, and their levels were nothing to scoff at.

They clearly weren’t candidates from Yi City; the sisters knew, or at least recognized, practically every top student from their home city who had broken past level 20.

“A team from another city,” Selene whispered, her voice laced with curiosity.

“It seems the Domain scattered candidates from different places into different starting zones.” However, just as the squad was on the verge of splintering the outer fence and charging into the village, the Paladin at the rear seemed to sense something.

He whipped his head around, his sharp gaze cutting through the distance and locking instantly onto the patch of reeds where the two sisters were concealed.

“Alert!

Someone’s behind us!” the Paladin barked, his voice ringing out clearly across the battlefield.

The moment he spoke, the Berserker and Ranger, who had been deep in the throes of their assault, froze mid-swing.

Without a shred of hesitation, they abandoned their attack on the Hobgoblins and fell back, rapidly regrouping with the Elementalist and Paladin.

In a flash, the four of them shifted into a tight defensive posture.

The Berserker and Paladin formed a solid frontline, while the Elementalist and Ranger took up the rear, their eyes fixed on Celeste and Selene’s position with undisguised suspicion and wariness.

Their reactions were lightning-fast, their formation change seamless and practiced.

They were clearly a well-trained unit, extremely wary of the classic “mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind” scenario.

The Hobgoblins in the village, who had been screaming for their mothers just moments before, stared in confusion.

They didn’t understand the sudden reprieve, but they seized the opportunity to catch their breath, huddling behind the splintered fence and chattering nervously, not yet daring to press their advantage.

For a moment, the scene descended into a bizarre standoff.

On one side stood the strange, four-person squad, braced for battle as if facing a formidable enemy.

On the other side were the two sisters, who had just revealed themselves and numbered only two—one of whom was still casually holding a bright pink staff.

Caught in the middle was a tribe of shaken Hobgoblins, watching the proceedings with beady eyes.

Celeste glanced at the squad’s guarded posture, which screamed, ‘You’re here to steal our kills, steal our points, and stab us in the back.’Then she looked at the brand-new, glaringly shiny shield in her sister’s hand.

Finally, she looked down at the equally brand-new, equally conspicuous pink staff in her own.’Okay,’she thought,’maybe this looks a little bad.’ She felt it was necessary to clarify that she was, in fact, just a humble passerby enjoying the local entertainment.

Thus, under the tense scrutiny of the four adventurers, Celeste raised her empty left hand in a universal gesture of peace.

“Don’t be nervous, we’re just passing by,” she said, her voice as calm and non-threatening as she could make it.

“Carry on, we’re leaving now.” Selene cooperatively relaxed her combat stance, leaning her shield against her shoulder and flashing a friendly, disarming smile.

“Yeah, that’s right.

We’re just here to watch the show.

You guys keep fighting.” Their words, however, had the opposite effect.

The squad didn’t relax; if anything, they grew even more vigilant.

The Paladin captain snorted.

“Passing by?

At a time like this?

Right when we’re about to breach the village?” The Berserker sneered, his grip tightening on his axe.

“At least come up with a decent excuse!

Two girls, all alone in the Domain, just happen to be ‘passing by’ a Hobgoblin village?

Who are you trying to fool?” The Elementalist narrowed his eyes, the arcane glow on his staff intensifying.

“Captain, they must be stalling for time, waiting for us and the Hobgoblins to wear each other down!” The Ranger’s arrowhead shifted slightly, locking onto Celeste.

“Or they’re waiting for their teammates to flank us.” Celeste sighed, a flicker of helplessness in her expression.

“We really only have two people, and we really are just passing by.

Do we look like we’re here to steal your points?” Selene nodded emphatically.

“Exactly!

If we wanted to steal your points, we would’ve just attacked already.

Why would we waste time talking to you?” This, apparently, was the final nail in the coffin.

The Paladin captain was now utterly convinced of his judgment.

“As expected!

They’re probing our defensive weaknesses!

Don’t be fooled, everyone!” After several more rounds of this, with the sisters’ every explanation met with deeper suspicion, Celeste’s patience finally frayed.

She took a deep breath, turned to Selene, and her tone acquired a dangerous edge.

“Selene, I’m suddenly feeling a bit annoyed.” Selene pouted, her own frustration bubbling to the surface.

“Sister, me too.

We explained so nicely for so long, and they didn’t believe a single word.” “Since they’re so convinced we’re going to steal their points…” Celeste slowly raised her pink staff, a predatory glint flashing in her eyes.

“Then if we don’t actually steal them, wouldn’t we be taking a loss?” A knowing smile spread across Selene’s face.

She hoisted her shield again, settling into a combat stance.

“That makes sense!

We can’t let ourselves be wrongly accused for nothing!” Just as the four-person squad braced themselves, expecting the sisters to launch an attack on them, Celeste suddenly spun around.

Her pink staff whistled through the air, carrying an immense, crushing force as she swung it directly at the broken wooden fence.

“Boom!” The already precarious barrier shattered completely under the blow, exploding into a shower of splinters and revealing the panicked Hobgoblins cowering behind it.

Selene was right on her heels.

Shield first, she charged into the goblin mob like a runaway chariot, her sword, Light of Dawn, tracing a dazzling arc of holy light.

“Look!

They really did attack!” the Paladin captain yelled, his voice a mixture of shock and righteous anger.

“I knew they were here to steal points!” The Berserker roared in fury.

“Despicable!

They’re clearing the Hobgoblins while our guard is down!” The Elementalist began chanting frantically.

“Quick!

Don’t let them take everything!” The four-person squad snapped into action, charging toward the Hobgoblin village themselves.

What followed, however, was one of the most bizarre battle scenes imaginable.

The two sisters moved with perfect cooperation, cutting through the Hobgoblins like a hot knife through butter.

Every swing of Celeste’s pink staff landed with the force of a thrown boulder, sending goblins flying.

Selene was a silver whirlwind, darting through the enemy ranks, holy light and sword shadows weaving a deadly mix.

But the four-person squad fought as if their hands were tied.

The Berserker would swing his axe at a Hobgoblin, only to keep glancing nervously into the surrounding woods, terrified that an ambush might spring at any moment.

The Paladin held his shield, but his attention was always divided, his focus more on protecting the Elementalist’s back than on the enemies in front of him.

The Elementalist was halfway through a spell when he thought he saw movement in the bushes to his side; he hastily aborted the incantation to turn, causing his fireball to miss its mark entirely.

The Ranger’s performance was even more ridiculous—half of his arrows were shot into empty shadows, as if he expected an assassin to leap out from thin air.

“Captain, they must have teammates lurking in the shadows!” the Elementalist said in a low, tense voice, his eyes scanning the treeline.

“These two girls are so strong; their teammates must be even more powerful!” The Berserker cleaved a Hobgoblin in two and panted, “He’s right.

For them to be so blatant about kill-stealing, they must have some serious backup!” The Paladin captain’s expression was grim.

“Stay alert, everyone!

Keep an eye on your surroundings!

They must be waiting for us to show an opening!” And so, the four-person squad became even more distracted, fighting the Hobgoblins while constantly on guard against their imaginary “ambush.” As a result, their combat efficiency plummeted.

It often took them several clumsy hits to finish off a single goblin.

Conversely, the sisters were a study in single-minded focus.

Their coordination was flawless, and they cleared the Hobgoblins at nearly twice the speed of their paranoid rivals.

Celeste executed a wide sweep, sending three Hobgoblins tumbling through the air at once.

Selene followed with a shield bash that stunned a Hobgoblin Shaman, then finished it off with a clean sword strike to the throat.

The two of them were like a pair of precise, efficient killing machines.

Wherever they passed, Hobgoblins fell in droves.

“Sister, why are they fighting so slowly?” Selene asked, genuinely puzzled, after snatching a glance at the flailing four-person squad.

Celeste had also noticed their bizarrely poor performance.

After a moment of thought, the reason dawned on her, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

“They’re probably still waiting for our ‘teammates’ to show up.” Five minutes later, the battle was over.

Of the thirty-odd Hobgoblins in the village, the sisters had dispatched over twenty.

The four-person squad had handled fewer than ten—and that was only because Celeste and Selene had intentionally left a small group for them.

Celeste stood with her staff resting on her shoulder, letting out a light breath.

Selene shook the gore from her blade, looking as if she hadn’t quite had her fill, and turned to face the four-person squad, whose expressions were a dark shade of ugly.

“What are you looking at?” Selene said irritably.

“Weren’t you the ones who insisted we were going to steal your points?” Celeste added calmly, “We’ve finished stealing them now.

Are you satisfied?” The Paladin captain opened his mouth, a retort on his lips, but as he looked at the Hobgoblin corpses littering the ground and the completely relaxed posture of the two sisters, he swallowed his words.

His eyes darted around the perimeter once more before he whispered to his team, “Don’t lower your guard.

Their teammates might still be nearby.” The Berserker glared at the sisters, his resentment clear, but could only lower his voice.

“Captain, they stole so many points.

Are we just going to let it slide?” “We retreat for now.

The situation is unclear; it’s not wise to force a fight,” the Paladin captain said in a deep voice.

“Those two girls are this strong already.

Their teammates must be extraordinary.

For all we know, we’ve already fallen into their encirclement.” Maintaining their defensive formation, the four-person squad began a slow, careful retreat.

Their eyes remained fixed on the surrounding woods, as if expecting a great army to charge out at any second.

Watching their paranoid departure, the two sisters exchanged an amused smile.

With a final, stylish turn, they continued their journey forward along the riverbank.

[Ding!

The Host has successfully practiced the philosophy of joy: “Since I’ve been wrongly accused, I might as well make it real.” While trapping the other party in a logical loop, you have gained tangible points.

Elation Coins +233!

Aha really likes this kind of unashamed, anti-trope behavior~] [The Masked Fool laughs.jpg] Hearing the system prompt, the corners of Celeste’s mouth curled into a faint smile.

It seemed, she mused, that this feeling of just rolling with a misunderstanding and making it reality was actually…

kind of satisfying.

[Elysian’s Note: Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely: