As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 121

"Well then, although I'd love to continue having fun with you all, I have some very important things to do right now, so I can't stay any longer. I'm sorry," Ershu said with a smile. "You... you want to leave this place? Aren't you being too naive? Don't think that breaking free from the chains will allow you to escape our encirclement. Don't forget, it's not just us here. My teammates and I together form the most fortified stronghold in the main kingdom, and you simply cannot break through it."

Hearing Ershu's words, Leon frowned slightly and scolded him angrily, while Ershu maintained his relaxed smile, gently pinching the staff floating beside him with his fingers and casting a golden mark under his feet.

"Of course I know how powerful you and your team are, Ms. Leon. Therefore, I don't want to confront your strongest shield head-on. For me, avoiding it is the best thing to do."

"You think you can escape using teleportation magic? Don't even dream about it! With me here, I will never let you do that!"

Hearing Ershu's words, Lius stepped forward, waving his staff and releasing several runes emitting a pale blue light around the black-robed girl, attempting to restrict her movements.

Meanwhile, Ershu stroked the warm runes, her smile deepening. She gave a soft hum and continued explaining:

"Oh? Prince Leus, do you intend to trap me in this way? You may be disappointed. The power within me comes from our supreme god, the most sublime divine power in this world, which cannot be affected by ordinary magic. Not only me, but my companions also possess such power."

"What? Your companions? Are they nearby too?" Taking a step forward, Lius asked Ershue further.

"No, that's not it. Our actions are not coordinated. I was sent here to distract you. As for our church's real operation... it's to send troops to counter your prepared forces and launch surprise attacks on your weakest borders. That's the true purpose of our operation."

You dare to launch a surprise attack on our troops? Are you referring to the guards in the north and south border regions? You actually want to attack those places! Why would you do this! Do you have any humanity left?!

Hearing Ershu's words, Lius put on an indignant expression, gripped his staff, and questioned the black-robed girl in front of him. At the same time, Leon, who was standing next to him, gritted his teeth and stepped forward, pointing the tip of his sword at Ershu's face.

"You dare to do such a thing? Then prepare to bear the wrath of the kingdom and the entire knightly order."

"Heh, anger? I don't believe your anger can have much impact on our order. If you don't believe me, then Ms. Leon, you can send troops to those places at will and see if they can really defend the place as I said."

"What you're saying may not be true. You're just trying to distract me."

Looking back at Ershe, Leon forced out these words through clenched teeth, while Ershe maintained his calm smile, gently gesturing towards Leon and Lius, displaying a perfect understanding between him and the blond boy in the distance…

Chapter 245: Life is Like a Play (Part Two)

With a meaningful smile, Ershu turned his gaze towards Lius and continued speaking:

"As I just said, the only way for you, Lady Leon and Prince Lius, to verify the truth of my words is to actively send troops to investigate these areas. Perhaps we can find traces of our companions' attacks." Do you really think you can convince us with just a few words? Are you that kind? Why tell us such important information? Lius cast a doubtful glance at Ershu's direction and spoke up, also expressing Leon's inner confusion.

"Well, Mr. Lis, you can certainly take this as a sign of our goodwill. Of course, we are not worried about your retaliation at all, which is why we are so willing to share all the information with you."

"Is this your true thought, or just a bluff?" Lius continued to ask.

"Of course, this is also a fair approach, especially given that the Supreme God is about to awaken. As servants of the Supreme God, we must maintain this etiquette and conduct, otherwise we will bring shame upon the Supreme God, which is something we believers must absolutely avoid."

After saying this, Ershu deliberately made a checking motion, focusing his gaze on the golden array beneath his feet. He took a step forward, merging his body into the golden light in front of him, causing the black-robed girl to gradually turn into a semi-transparent bubble, slowly disappearing from the sight of those in front of him and the surrounding crowd.

"Wait! Don't even think about running away!"

Making a desperate attempt to block, Leus waved his staff, firing several high-powered magic projectiles at Ershu's location, trying to "stop" her transfer. Ershu, however, maintained a gentle smile, calling out to the boy attacking her from afar, and uttering her final words:

"Well then, farewell, Prince Lius. I hope that when we meet again next time, it will be more amicable than it is now."

And so, the figure of the girl in black robes vanished completely into the forest, leaving no trace or mark, as if she had never existed at all. Even the knights closest to her were powerless to stop it, and could only stare at the completely silent, withered tree with puzzled and bewildered expressions, unsure of how to react.

Watching the golden light slowly dissipate, Leon clenched her fists, her heart filled with resentment and guilt. She hated herself for not protecting the blond boy beside her, and she was angry at herself for not guarding the black-robed girl she had just captured. These two emotions intertwined, making the silver-haired female general reveal an expression of resentment and unwillingness.

"boom!"

Leon slammed his fist into a nearby tree stump, making it rattle and creak, venting his resentment.

After a series of loud bangs, Leon slowly exhaled, seemingly having calmed himself down and regained his usual capable and sarcastic demeanor. He then looked up at Lius beside him.

"Thank you, Lius. It was my fault for letting that cultist escape." "It's not your fault, I also bear responsibility. I didn't stop her escape in time, nor did I suppress the power within her, which led to all of this. But it's best not to be affected by what just happened, and to take a longer-term view."

Leus gently reached out and stroked the female general's shoulder to comfort her, while Leon pressed his lips tightly together until blood trickled down his face before stopping his suppressed emotions and letting out another slow sigh.

“Hmph… Lius, you’re right. We’ve already failed here. We can’t let other things fail as well… We must prepare for the next step immediately to avoid causing even greater damage.”

As he spoke, Leon shook his head forcefully, forcing himself to return his attention to the work at hand. He then waved his hand gently, signaling the soldiers beside him to stand by and prepare. He and Lius then went into the tent to begin studying the current situation.

"If what Ershu just said is true, then what those cultists need to do next is... launch attacks from these places."

Lius pointed out the various locations on the map to the silver-haired female general beside him, while Leon carefully observed the terrain of each area on the map, memorizing the markings on it.

"These towns are relatively weakly defended, making them ideal locations for surprise attacks. Although there are many troops there, they cannot withstand a large-scale attack for long... We must transfer troops from other places to provide support."

“Support…that’s certainly the case. Are there large-scale troops nearby?” Leus asked, leaning towards Leon beside him.

Chapter 245: Life is Like a Play (Part Two)

With a meaningful smile, Ershu turned his gaze towards Lius and continued speaking:

"As I just said, the only way for you, Lady Leon, and Prince Lius to verify the truth of my words is to proactively send troops to investigate these areas. Perhaps we can find traces of our companions' attacks." Do you really think you can convince us with just a few words? Are you that kind? Why did you tell us such important information? Lius cast a doubtful glance at Vilsh, adding that he also voiced Leon's inner doubts.

"Well, Mr. Lis, you can certainly take this as a sign of our goodwill. Of course, we are not worried about your retaliation at all, which is why we are so willing to share all the information with you."

"Is this your true thought, or just a bluff?" Lius continued to ask.

"Of course, this is also a fair approach, especially given that the Supreme God is about to awaken. As servants of the Supreme God, we must maintain this etiquette and conduct. Otherwise, we would be disrespecting the Supreme God, which is something we believers must absolutely avoid."

After saying this, Ershu deliberately made a checking motion, focusing his gaze on the golden array beneath his feet. He took a step forward, merging his body into the golden light in front of him, causing the black-robed girl to gradually turn into a semi-transparent bubble, slowly disappearing from the sight of those in front of him and the surrounding crowd.

"Wait! Don't even think about running away!"

Making a desperate attempt to block, Leus waved his staff, firing several high-powered magic projectiles at Ershu's location, trying to "stop" her transfer. Ershu, however, maintained a gentle smile, calling out to the boy attacking her from afar, and uttering her final words:

"Well then, farewell, Prince Lius. I hope that when we meet again next time, it will be more amicable than it is now."

And so, the figure of the girl in black robes vanished completely into the forest, leaving no trace or mark, as if she had never existed at all. Even the knights closest to her were powerless to stop it, and could only stare at the completely silent, withered tree with puzzled and bewildered expressions, unsure of how to react.

Watching the golden light slowly dissipate, Leon clenched her fists, her heart filled with resentment and guilt. She hated herself for not protecting the blond boy beside her, and she was angry at herself for not guarding the black-robed girl she had just captured. These two emotions intertwined, making the silver-haired female general reveal an expression of resentment and unwillingness.

"boom!"

Leon slammed his fist into a nearby tree stump, making it rattle and creak, venting his resentment.

After a series of loud bangs, Leon slowly exhaled, seemingly having calmed himself down and regained his usual capable and sarcastic demeanor. He then looked up at Lius beside him.

"Thank you, Lius... It was my fault for letting that cultist escape."

"This is not your fault, I also bear responsibility. I failed to stop her escape in time and failed to suppress the power within her, which led to all of this. But it's best not to be affected by what just happened and to take a longer-term view."

Leus gently reached out and stroked the female general's shoulder to comfort her, while Leon pressed his lips tightly together until blood trickled down his face before stopping his suppressed emotions and letting out another slow sigh.

“Hmph… Lius, you’re right. We’ve already failed here. We can’t let everything else fail as well… We must prepare for the next step immediately to avoid causing even greater damage.” Leon shook his head forcefully, forcing himself to return to the work at hand. He then waved his hand gently, signaling the soldiers beside him to stand by and prepare. He and Lius then went into the tent to begin studying the current situation.

"If what Ershu just said is true, then what those cultists need to do next is... launch attacks from these places."

Lius pointed out the various locations on the map to the silver-haired female general beside him, while Leon carefully observed the terrain of each area on the map, memorizing the markings on it.

"These towns are relatively weakly defended, making them ideal locations for surprise attacks. Although there are many troops there, they cannot withstand a large-scale attack for long... We must transfer troops from other places to provide support."

“Support…that’s certainly the case. Are there large-scale troops nearby?” Leus asked, glancing at Leon beside him.

"Indeed, there are. Fortunately, a number of troops had already been transferred in the vicinity, and now there are a large number of soldiers guarding the area. It is not difficult to transfer them to these areas. As long as they follow these routes, there shouldn't be too much trouble."

With that, Leon nodded slightly to Lius, then took out the communication stone beside him and spoke with the armies that wanted to contact him.

"Hmm...that's it. I hope you can do as I say...yes, be on guard. That's how it is. This communication lasted for about an hour. When it was finally finished, Leon slumped into a chair next to him, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked at Lius and gave him a reassuring smile and a slight nod. "The matter is temporarily resolved. They will investigate those places, so if any problems arise, they will be able to detect them in time. Lius, you don't need to worry."

“That’s for the best. Any other discoveries?” Lius continued to ask.

"Furthermore, based on intelligence confirmed with other regions, I have also determined that not only here, but also a group of cultists are making moves on the northern border. It may be necessary for my men to wipe them out. I may need to go to the north for a while, and I need to let you know, Lius."

"Heading north?" Hearing Leon's words, Lius's eyes lit up. A certain goal had been achieved, and he nodded slightly in Leon's direction. "If this is your idea, Leon, then I agree. Go ahead. Don't worry about here; I can handle it myself. Let's go back to the city for supplies and see what the consequences of their diversionary tactic are. Hopefully, it won't cause too much damage." Lius said this, slowly rising from his chair. Leon nodded slightly and followed behind Lius, leading the garrison back to the town he was in charge of…

Chapter 246 Temporary Departure (Part 1)

Some time later, inside the mansion.

"Hmm? Lord K, have you... experienced something like this before?"

Hearing the words from Leus's mouth, Leah lowered her eyes in surprise, then her gaze suddenly turned sharp. She gripped the hilt of the magic sword at her waist and looked at Leus with a solemn and serious expression.

“Brother… Lilia doesn’t know the details of what happened, but Lilia has a feeling that what you’ve encountered must be very dangerous. Please let Lilia stay by your side to protect you from now on.”

"Shall I have Lia stay with you?" Looking around the mansion, at the tightly arranged soldiers and the well-defended walls, Lius looked at the white-haired girl in front of him again and nodded slightly.

"It's time for you, Lia, to continue your training. Alright, for the next operation, you'll accompany me. Remember to follow orders, and absolutely do not do anything you're not told to do, understand?" "Yes, I understand, brother."

Lia nodded vigorously to the blond boy in front of her, then moved closer to Lius and grasped his arm again, expressing her deepest concern with the strength of her grip.

Faced with the girl's actions, Lius smiled slightly and turned his gaze to the carriages moving one by one through the mansion outside the window in the distance.

That was the resupply that began after Leon returned.

On the one hand, the team was given a temporary rest to replenish the energy they had expended during the march; on the other hand, people were sent to conduct a further search of the residence and its surroundings to look for any possible traces of cult members.

Of course, according to Lius's speculation, if his previous order had been conveyed, Ershu's actions toward the mansion would have been temporarily eased, so as not to be exposed to the public eye.

Meanwhile, Leon, who was in the distance, seemed to have also noticed that all traces of activity around him had completely disappeared. After searching for a while without success, he returned to the mansion with a frown and walked up to Lius.

"Thank you, Leon. We haven't found any useful clues. It seems that those cultists have gone into hiding again after hearing the news. It's not so easy to track them down. It's really frustrating." It's okay. I expected this. It's not your fault, Leon. Don't worry about it.

Looking at the silver-haired female general in front of him, Lius gently shook his head, then used a handkerchief to wipe the dust off Leon's face, making her appearance look vibrant again.

"Leon, you've done enough here. There's no need to trouble yourself any further. Don't you still have matters to attend to in the north? In that case, let's get going as soon as possible. You also need to mobilize and manage the troops in other places. I have a feeling that the battle is about to begin. Don't waste too much time here and lose more than you gain."

"Hmm... Lius, what you said makes sense, but shouldn't we stay here and keep watch? What if there are any more cult activities?"

"If something similar happens again, I will react immediately. I believe in my abilities; those cultists can't do anything to me. Don't worry about anything."

Seeing the silver-haired female general's confident smile, Leus patted Leon's shoulder forcefully to reassure her. Leon nodded slightly under Leus's reassuring gaze, and when she looked at him again, her eyes were filled with trust in the blond boy.

"Hmm... I understand. Since you say so, Lius, I'll leave things here to you. Take good care of yourself, both as the commander and as my lover. Lius, you must ensure your safety and not worry me, understand?"

"Don't worry, do you think I would ever go back on my word? Just leave it to me."

Leon smiled again, then helped her change into a brand new set of armor, giving the female general an even more imposing aura than before. He led her to the outside of the mansion and, under the watchful eyes of the other soldiers, personally helped Leon onto her saddle.

"Ha...it was you again, Lius, who helped me get on the horse. You helped me get off in the forest before, and this whole process of getting on and off has made me a little shy." Leon pursed his lips slightly, a rare blush on his face, and smiled shyly at Lius. "It's okay, didn't we already say that next time we meet, Leon, you can do the same thing to me again to make up for it? I'm really looking forward to it."

Seeing Leon blush, Lius smiled teasingly at her, then stepped forward and added:

"Of course, all of this depends on the fact that we are both safe and sound, so you should also take good care of yourself and not let me down."

"Yes, I will keep these things in mind, and please rest assured, Lius."

The boy nodded vigorously. Leon gripped the reins tightly, looked towards the road in the distance, and frowned slightly. "The cultists' actions have become increasingly reckless. They dared to carry out such a large-scale operation against your residence, Prince Lius... Moreover, they mentioned something about a leader. It seems that this leader is their leader. We must find out who it is and, once we catch him, we must cut him into a thousand pieces to atone for the harm done to you, Lius."

Well, faced with Leon's righteous words, Leus, after a slight pause, managed a forced smile and nodded slightly.

"Ha...yes, this kind of person should be severely punished, but Leon, you don't have to take the investigation of him too seriously. Leave all the intelligence to me. Otherwise, if you have to handle too many things by yourself, it might be too much for you to handle. Let me share some of the burden."

"Will you share the burden, Julius?"

"Yes, that's the commander's duty, and I don't want my Leon to be too overworked. What do you say, Leon? Are you willing?" With a hint of ulterior motive, Lius asked the female general in a serious tone.

Leon glanced down slightly, and his blush deepened under Lius's "caring" tone. Especially after hearing "my Leon," a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Chapter 247: Temporary Departure (Part Two)

Is this my Leon?

Hearing the way Lius addressed him, Leipin couldn't help but smile, and continued speaking:

Ha... Even now, Lius, you still care about me so much. You bring up any little thoughts you have and even treat me so intimately. Really... Do you enjoy teasing me that much? We're still in front of your men. If you make me too shy, it will affect the morale of the army. A delicate and gentle voice flowed from the female general's mouth, making Leon blush. She would occasionally cast a charming glance at Lius's face, and when she saw his serious eyes, her heart would beat even faster.

"Hehe... Lius, since you care about me so much, I can't ignore your kindness. As for the investigation of that 'leader,' I'll leave it to Lius... no, to be precise, it should be my Lius. Just like you said to me, Lius, you like this title, don't you?"

With a slightly awkward tone, Leon smiled at the blond boy in front of him, looking much more relaxed than before. Lius also breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to Leon as well.

"Yes, I like it very much. Then it's settled. From now on, you must report any clues about the leader to me in a timely manner. Do not leak this information, understand?"

"Yes, we understand."

Not only Leon in front of her, but also the entire group behind her nodded in response to Lius. Afterwards, Lius gave the army a few more instructions, waved goodbye to Leon, and watched them leave from outside the mansion, slowly heading towards the road leading north.

"Tighten the rope, and give the order to those behind to speed up their pace and return to the north to take command immediately, so as not to delay the military situation."

On horseback, she called out to the troops behind her, and the soldiers behind her carried out her orders in an orderly manner, advancing along the path through the forest with high morale.

Even with muddy sections on the road, their speed didn't decrease at all; they all remained focused, speeding through the sun-dappled forest.

"Everyone is very motivated today, General. You look different from before."