"Haha..." the old man smiled and chuckled weakly.
He raised both of his hands, gesturing for Rex to calm down—while his eyes darted left and right, still searching for a way out. It wasn’t his place to ddle, and he didn’t want to either, "I apologize, Sir. I am feeling a bit dizzy—from life energy insufficiency. Forgive this old bone, perhaps we can talk again when I’m feeling better?"
Rex returned the smile, "I’m sorry to hear that..."
It seed like he was going to buy this excuse and let the old man go.
But instead, he reached his hand forward.
Before the old man’s very eyes, a small, glistening vial appeared in Rex’s hand.
"Here," His smile widened, but there was a cynical tinge in it. "Drink this, and I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better. Even though you’re not from my legion, it’s still a knight’s duty to look after the empire’s vassals, isn’t it?"
For a mont, the old man stared at the vial.
Inside, the substance was glistening as if it was seducing the old man to drink it.
And the color, bright green, made it look pleasant and tantalizing to the eye.
However, when he raised his gaze to look at Rex’s smile, that temptation vanished completely as a bead of cold sweat trickled down the side of his face. ’It looked good—but I don’t trust him at all. Why is he smiling like that? What is inside this vial?’
"Go on," Rex urged and shoved the vial closer. "If you’re really exhausted, drink it."
"No... I think I’d rather wait until I recover naturally."
"Don’t be shy. Drink it. Do you want to feed it to you?"
"I don’t really—"
"Aren’t you exhausted? You should drink it."
"Okay, fine! I’ll answer your question. Just get that thing away from !"
Fearing that Rex might actually force him to drink the vial, the old man eventually surrendered.
Only then did Rex put the vial away.
He might act like the vial was suspicious, but it really wasn’t—it’s a normal life energy supplent.
"Since you’re not tired, tell about Haxel," Rex demanded, straightening his back again and crossing his arms. His arm muscles bulged—even when he wasn’t flexing, "What’s his goal by doing this? Who sent him here?"
"Sent...?" the old man repeated with a raised brow. "What do you an by sent?"
"Isn’t he supposed to be employed by one of the royal concubines?"
"Where did you get that information from? Of course not, he works al—"
"As expected of a barbarian knight, now you’re bullying an innocent soldier? Sha on you."
Before the old man could even finish his sentence, a voice interrupted.
Rex glanced to his side and frowned.
Standing to his right was a man with long, curly hair—brown streaked with dignified grey—frad a face too carefully tended to belong to any commoner. The fine linen draping his broad fra could not disguise his prominent belly, but the way he carried it was the ease of authority rather than indulgence.
Behind him was a flock of people, around ten of them, all looking at Rex with unfriendly gazes.
At a glance, Rex seed to find this man familiar.
Where did I see him?
He contemplated for a fleeting mont before he recognized the man.
Back when the Invincible Apparition was evacuating the people, this man was the spokesperson.
No doubt about it, he must be the governor or soone in charge of this place.
Rex clicked his tongue in displeasure, but turned towards them, not forgetting to put on a friendly smile.
"Greetings," He pounded his fist on his chest and bowed his head slightly in politeness. "I believe we’ve unresolved issues for what I did earlier. Her Majesty inford that the people aren’t happy with . Is that true? Sir... what is your na again?"
"Call Ricco. Sir Ricco." The big-bellied man, Ricco, replied—chin held high. "And yes, we indeed have unresolved issues. We heard from Her Majesty that you’re a new knight, and I suppose that really explains your impudence. But still, what you did is unforgivable."
"Unforgivable?" Rex tilted his head. "I think your choice of words is too exaggerated."
"You broke a few honorable people’s legs—and even threw so to the monsters," Ricco’s eyes turned sharp, narrowing with seriousness. "Had you not been a knight who was favored by Her Majesty, you would’ve been beheaded for such cris."
"Hmm, you speak without considering the fact that I saved your lives." Rex retorted.
It was precisely because the people were like this that the Invincible Apparition resorted to violence.
No ti to waste, so the only way to make them compliant was through violence and fear.
Rex is a noble knight, but he has no standing within the empire.
He was new.
So, there’s no other choice but to use the practical way to force the people to evacuate.
"Saving lives or not, you tainted the holy land with your violence. Do you even know how hard it was for us to be citizens of this beloved land?" Ricco asked back, not backing down at all. "It’s blasphemy to resort to such tactics against us."
Behind him, the people also cheered, emphasizing each point Ricco made.
All of them were cornering Rex for doing the necessary thing to save their lives.
On the other hand, the old man found this as an opportunity for him to escape the situation.
Slowly, he scooted away bit by bit until he was far enough from Rex to stand up and leave.
Additionally, it wasn’t only the old man who saw this confrontation between Rex and the people.
From the end of the street, Princess Davina saw this and frowned.
’I heard he forced the people to evacuate, which was understandable.’ Princess Davina thought, knowing full well how stubborn and arrogant the people of Vinarkin Bubble could be—people who viewed their status as higher than others. ’I assu he did sothing drastic to make them evacuate, and now he’s in trouble because of it. I should help.’
Knowing that her presence could make all the difference, Princess Davina decided to help.
Unlike Rex, she was famously known even in this part of the empire.
She could certainly smooth the confrontation and help them achieve a common ground.
But her steps halted when soone got in the way.
"I have nothing to talk to you, move out of the way," Princess Davina said sternly, her voice dropped to a commanding tone, showing that she didn’t want to be rebutted. "I believe you have sothing more useful than chatting with . Do that."
Barring her way out of nowhere was April.
She maintained eye contact for a good mont with languid eyes, unflinching even as Princess Davina brushed past, her shoulder striking April’s with intent. But only a few steps away, April’s voice cut the air, cool and sharp, "I have a ssage from Rex—don’t flatter yourself into thinking I ca to speak to you, that I would waste my ti for you."
Princess Davina clenched her jaw.
For so reason, hearing the nonchalantly arrogant tone that April carried annoyed her.
It was unlike her to be riled by sothing like this.
"Firstly, it’s Sir Rex. Don’t speak of my fiancé’s na lightly," Princess Davina turned around—and looked at April with a dubious gaze. "And secondly—you have a ssage from Rex? Please. If he has sothing to say to , he’ll say it directly to ."
"Have you ever considered that maybe he can’t?" April turned around to face Princess Davina again.
Despite their calm conversation, one could feel the heavy tension between them.
One that made others steer clear of them.
Upon hearing this, Princess Davina paused for a second and then nodded slightly.
Instead of going to help Rex, she walked to the side, to a more secluded spot nearby.
April took this as an invitation and followed after her.
Once they were away from prying eyes, Princess Davina waved her hand, gesturing for April to speak.
"What ssage did you bring?"
"Rex told to tell you that the next attempt—from the traitor is going to be a harsh one, and possibly the last one. The traitor had been gathering attention to himself from his failings, and Rex’s triumph in saving this bubble put the traitor to the edge, so Rex wanted to warn you about it."
"I see..."
Princess Davina’s forehead creased in contemplation, mapping their road ahead.
"But what exactly is his next move? Along the path ahead, no bubble holds greater weight than the one we’re in. The leap in devastation from the first attempt to the second was staggering—surely that’s how Rex deems the next move to be nothing less than brutal."
"Perhaps an attack on multiple high-priority bubbles? He has the ans to do it."
"If his aim was to cause as much ruckus, then perhaps. But it’s unlikely—the high-priority bubbles are quite separated. If his aim was to sabotage the mission—then he should be aiming for the White Mask. Perhaps steering it away from our fixed path?"
"Not plausible. He doesn’t have nearly the strength to ss with the White Mask."
"Then what...? What could be more devastating than attacking the Vinarkin Bubble?"
Silence enveloped both of them as they contemplated what Haxel was going to be doing next.
Having a guess of what he’d do would certainly help them anticipate his move.
For a good mont, the two were at a loss for what it would be.
But then, their minds clicked at the sa ti as the sa thought ca to mind.
"A noble casualty..."
The Vinarkin Bubble was a holy land, cherished by the emperor and, by extension, the entire empire.
Its loss would wound the empire deeply, though the effect would mainly be sentintal pain that grieved the heart—a disorientation of spirit rather than strength. The death of noble figures, however, carried a far more practical consequence.
Such a loss would cripple their territory, leaving it vulnerable and fractured.
One fallen noble might be endured, perhaps—even weighed against the loss of Vinarakin Bubble, but should two or three high-born figures perish, it would inflict major setbacks on the empire, and certainly, the mission would also collapse.
Losing that much manpower would make their grip on the White Mask loosen.
And it would escape.
"Is that even possible?" April asked.
Compared to Haxel, the nobles were far stronger, so there shouldn’t be a chance for him to achieve that.
But the situation made it possible.
"Yes," Princess Davina nodded. "The White Mask would seize our full attention as things are still prone to going south whenever a Voidal Monarch is involved. The traitor could do many things, even whatever he wanted, while we’re dealing with the White Mask."
Upon realizing this, Princess Davina nodded.
’I have to lessen my role, so that I can focus on anticipating Haxel’s move.’ She thought inwardly.
Then, she focused back on April. "What are you going to do?"
"?" April pointed at herself, taken aback by the question.
"Yes," Princess Davina replied with quiet authority. "You are still a noble—and thus you can serve us best by keeping watch over the peculiarities that stir around us that may as well be the traitor’s doings. That would be a far more fitting contribution to this mission. Surely you do not intend to linger—at my fiance’s side like so clinging parasite... do you?"
April gritted her teeth and eventually nodded, "Fine, I’ll stick with the nobles."
"Good," Princess Davina turned away, intending to leave. "Now, if you’ll excuse , I have to go and help my fiancé."
It annoys April that Princess Davina kept calling Rex ’my fiance’.
And that annoyance pushed her to follow Princess Davina, also intending to help Rex.
But upon reaching the street where they were earlier, they looked at the end of the street and frowned.
Both of them wanted to help Rex settle against the holy land’s people, but they were too late.
Soone else already helped him—Althea.
Upon seeing this, Princess Davina’s and April’s gazes narrowed sharply.
And the sa thought crossed their minds.
’Who did she think she was? And since when has she presud such closeness with Rex?’
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