Chapter 261: Sylph’s Longing
Lomond’s face was alight with triumph and excitement. Among the many princes, he was now the most likely successor, his influence growing rapidly.
And most importantly, he had the mysterious Horus as his ally. He could almost see the Demon King’s throne within his grasp.
Patience, he reminded himself. That was another lesson Horus had taught him. He could have ambition, but he couldn’t act prematurely. The Demon King was still too powerful.
He would bide his time, increasing his prestige and power, gathering more followers, until he was strong enough to challenge his father.
It might be a long process, but Lomond could wait. He was more patient than his elder brother, who had been the First Prince for sixty years.
The report of human activity in his territory meant that members of the Hero Squad had infiltrated his lands. He just didn’t know who they were, how many, or how strong.
“Continue the investigation,” he ordered, “and reinforce the security around the prison.”
“Deploy all the guards from the Demon… ahem, from my palace to the prison as well. Don’t let anyone in, understand?”
“As you command, Your… ahem, Your Highness,” the Kobold scout replied with a fawning smile.
Lomond chuckled, pleased. This slip of the tongue showed that, in the hearts of his followers, he was the true Demon King.
Horus had advised him not to actively search for the intruders. If they had come here, they were skilled in stealth and could disable traps and barriers. Finding them would be difficult.
It was better to let them come to him.
By deliberately increasing security around the prison, even deploying his own palace guards, those cunning humans would think it was a trap, that Ronald was actually being held in his palace!
Unfortunately for them, Lomond had already laid a trap within his palace. Once they entered, they would have no escape.
This strategy wasn’t from Horus, but from the Goblin Chieftain.
Although weak, that Goblin was one of the few with some intelligence among his subordinates.
Unfortunately, even if they captured these intruders, he would have to hand them over to Horus.
And according to their agreement, he had to treat them… differently… from Ronald, who had earned him a considerable fortune.
This displeased Lomond slightly.
…
Meanwhile, in the forest, Sylph stood on a tree branch, her figure blending seamlessly with the leaves, her emerald eyes scanning the distance.
Lomond’s territory was swarming with Demon Beasts.
With her elven eyesight, she could see clearly for miles, observing the Seventh Prince’s palace, the dungeon, the camp, everything.
After memorizing the layout, she moved swiftly through the forest, concealed by the dense foliage.
Finally, she stopped at the edge of Lomond’s territory.
She easily spotted two hidden figures and headed towards them.
As expected, Eileen and Airi materialized.
“Sister Sylph, how is the situation over there?” Eileen asked immediately, her concern for Ronald evident.
“I’ve seen the general layout,” Sylph nodded, “There are no traps or mechanisms on the path from here to Lomond’s palace.”
Eileen and Airi exchanged puzzled glances.
This was unexpected.
“And there are no patrols near the palace. All the Demon Beast soldiers have been deployed to the dungeon,” Sylph continued.
“So, Ronald should be imprisoned in the dungeon,” Eileen’s eyes lit up, “Once we know his location, the rest will be easy.”
With their strength, they could easily infiltrate the dungeon and rescue Ronald. Their only concern was the magic barriers and traps within. Triggering them would alert the guards.
Even with their strength, being surrounded by a large number of Demon Beasts would be dangerous.
But Sylph shook her head, her face filled with suspicion, “No, I don’t think it’s that simple. It feels too deliberate, as if…”
“How should I put it… as if they want you to know that Ronald is imprisoned in the dungeon,” she said, searching for the right words.
Eileen and Airi frowned. “You mean he’s not there? The dungeon is just a trap to lure us in?”
“And Ronald is probably being held in Lomond’s seemingly unguarded palace?”
Sylph nodded. “That’s what it seems like.”
The twin sisters exchanged glances, then burst into laughter, their cheerful voices echoing through the forest.
But Sylph was annoyed, “What’s so funny?”
“Sister Sylph,” Airi said, after her laughter subsided, “you’re thinking like a human, not a Demon Beast. Do you really think they’re capable of such elaborate schemes?”
“To them, it’s probably just that Ronald is imprisoned in the dungeon, so they’re guarding it heavily.”
“As for Lomond’s palace, everyone knows his personality. He’s impulsive, arrogant, and overconfident. It’s not surprising that he wouldn’t bother with guards around his palace.”
Airi’s words made Sylph feel foolish.
She had been thinking like a human.
Most Demon Beasts were simple-minded, their intelligence inferior to a child’s… and Lomond’s subordinates were mostly low-ranking, their intelligence limited.
They probably weren’t capable of such a complex plan.
She had been interacting with humans for too long, overthinking things.
After a pause, Airi continued, “Now that we know his location, let’s rest and make sure we’re in top condition. We might have a tough battle ahead. Be careful, we can’t afford any mistakes.”
Sylph nodded slightly and leaped onto a tree branch, leaning against the trunk, her eyes scanning the distance.
She wasn’t eager to rescue Ronald.
Most of the Hero Squad members had close relationships with each other… For example, Loseweisse was close to everyone, Karsus, Benson, and Muse were like brothers, and Eileen and Airi were inseparable twins.
But Sylph was different.
Even within the Hero Squad, she had always been an outsider.
Apart from Jie Luo and Karsus, she didn’t have any deep connections with the others. And now, those two were dead…
She didn’t care about Ronald’s fate.
She was a selfish woman… always had been.
Perhaps she was inherently cold and uncaring. Back then, in the Hero Squad, she had been completely infatuated with Jie Luo, her world revolving around him, no room for anyone else.
She had been heartbroken after his death.
But unlike Loseweisse, Ekaterina, and Athena, although she had also mourned him, her feelings for Jie Luo seemed to be gradually fading, although very slowly.
And this process had accelerated after she met Qin Chu…
Now, she was more concerned about her own problems. Even Jie Luo’s soul fragment, she wasn’t as eager to obtain it as the others. It would be nice to have it, but she wouldn’t risk her life for it.
She touched the spot on her collarbone where the X-shaped mark had been. Since Qin Chu had extracted three of the threads, the mark hadn’t reappeared, and she felt… lighter.
This was a good sign.
But as long as those threads remained, she wouldn’t be able to rest easy.
They might erupt at any moment, corrupting her body, turning her into Karsus… no, into something even more terrifying.
The thought of Karsus’s monstrous form made her shudder, waking her from her sleep countless times.
Only when she was with Qin Chu did she feel a semblance of peace.
That man possessed a mysterious power that could suppress the fear in her heart, his presence a strange comfort.
A faint blush appeared on Sylph’s cheeks. After Qin Chu’s repeated treatments, her body seemed to have undergone some strange changes.
Whenever she thought of him, she felt a warmth spreading through her.
Her cheeks burned, and she bit her lip, her eyes glazing over.
She suddenly felt a longing for more of his treatments.
Sylph understood her true feelings. Her body craved him, and the so-called treatment was just an excuse.
Could it be that she had transferred her love for Jie Luo to Qin Chu?
She was ashamed of these thoughts.
“Hey, Sister Sylph, what are you doing?” A voice suddenly came from beside her.
It was Airi.
Her small hand waved in front of Sylph’s face.
“What are you thinking about? Your face is all red…” Airi looked at her suspiciously, then grinned mischievously, “I know, you must be thinking about your lover, right? Tell me, tell me… who is it? Is it Ronald? Among the Hero Squad, besides Big Brother Jie Luo, he’s the only one who’s… presentable. You must be happy that we’re about to rescue him, right?”
Ronald…
The thought of that pretentious, self-absorbed man made Sylph’s stomach churn.
She slapped Airi lightly on the head, “What are you thinking about? I was just thinking about when Big Brother Jie Luo will be resurrected.”
“Are we ready to go? Let’s move!”
As she spoke, Sylph jumped down from the tree.
Thinking about Big Brother Jie Luo? Airi’s eyes narrowed as she watched her go.
He’s our big brother. I won’t let you have him, you half-breed elf!
Come to think of it, after Big Brother Jie Luo was resurrected, they, along with Ekaterina, Loseweisse, Athena, and Sylph, would become rivals again.
A sweet, innocent smile appeared on Airi’s face. It would be fun competing for Big Brother Jie Luo’s attention.
But…
Anyone who tried to steal from them usually didn’t end well.
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