Chapter 29: The Adorably Naive Big Sister
His impassioned words left the guards looking rather perplexed.
They appreciated his noble intentions, but he had just been summoned here with no skills, no grasp of magic or battle qi. Combating demon beasts head-on with mere grit – how was that different from courting death?
Only Lina Maritisee, whose gentle name belied her more manly temperament than most men, felt her blood stir at his words. Clenching her fists, she pounded her chest three times with metal-clad knuckles against her breastplate, the clang ringing out crisply.
Her figure cut quite the fiery silhouette. Pity her breastplate concealed the anticipated bounce.
“Lord Hero, your character is so noble, your heart so magnanimous, your soul so virtuous! I, Lina Maritisee, am deeply moved. In a knight’s name, I vow to follow in your footsteps and join you in exterminating the demon beasts…”
“We can set out now. I know of a demon beast nest harboring at least seventy thousand of them. I’ll lead you there…”
Seventy thousand demon beasts?
Qin Chu was rendered speechless. Don’t take it so literally.
He did intend to eliminate some demon beasts and devour their powers to bolster his strength. But that didn’t mean he was willing to walk into the jaws of death!
Maritisee was truly too overwhelmed with emotion. To summon a hero so devoted to the Heavenly Continent’s welfare, willing to strive for its sake – it was the realm’s greatest blessing.
Her brain seemed composed solely of muscle fibers. Her words instantly fired up Maritisee to drag the hero off demon beast slaying, even storming their central nest to slay the Eternal Sovereign and bring peace to the land.
That blazing look in her eyes made Qin Chu’s heart tremble.
Fortunately, though Maritisee lacked much in the brains department, the other guards were sane individuals.
Seeing her state, they hastily rushed over, flanking their captain to restrain her. What nonsense was this? If no one intervened, Maritisee would undoubtedly attempt such folly. The highly gifted hero the Heavenly Continent fought so hard to summon would likely perish before even starting his journey.
They would surely face collective punishment too – a quick, clean death would be their luck.
“Captain, let’s not, let’s not…”
“Stay calm, don’t be rash. Though the Lord Hero commands two transcendent Authorities of immeasurable potential, he only just arrived in the Heavenly Continent. You taking the Lord Hero to clear out those seventy thousand demon beasts outside – how is that different from seeking death?”
The subordinates pleaded incessantly.
Maritisee glared stubbornly. “As a knight, I vow to protect the Lord Hero’s safety without fail.”
“Please, big sis, we know you’re formidable. But can you really take on seventy thousand demon beasts alone? Even the lowliest slimes would overwhelm you with those numbers.”
The juniors’ minds were filled with black lines.
As soon as those words left their mouths, Maritisee seemed to finally consider that point. Her expression froze momentarily as she pondered – seventy thousand demon beasts did indeed sound rather daunting…
The blazing fire on her brow was instantly doused.
Her face reddened in embarrassment.
“Er, well…Lord Hero, it seems we need to reconsider this matter.” Maritisee spoke awkwardly, having just boasted about leading the hero to exterminate demon beasts, only to immediately back off. The feeling of losing face was too shameful.
Maritisee also worried she may have dampened the hero’s enthusiasm with her flip-flopping.
“How about the Lord Hero first learns the Heavenly Continent’s powers?” Maritisee tentatively suggested. “I can impart my Explosive Flame Battle Qi to you…”
The nearby subordinates could only helplessly shake their heads.
Not out of ill intent, but her explosive temper and stubborn bluntness always seemed to bring disaster upon herself and her comrades.
“Big sis, the Ten Heroes chosen to tutor the Lord Hero in magic and battle qi have already been decided. They possess far superior secret manuals, there’s no need for Explosive Flame…”
“If you rashly instruct the Lord Hero, that would be overstepping – even disrupting their original arrangements. If pursued, you may face severe consequences.”
Explosive Flame Battle Qi was merely a mid-tier cultivation method, far inferior to the supreme manuals possessed by the Ten Heroes.
Maritisee understood this clearly, yet still felt dissatisfied.
“Tch, a bunch of inflexible sticks in the mud. Who knows when those Hero Squad members will even arrive in the imperial capital? Is the Lord Hero supposed to just twiddle his thumbs wasting time until then?”
In Maritisee’s view, that would be callously disregarding lives.
Each day untold civilians perished to demon beast attacks, but those high and mighty never cared about commoners’ lives.
“Pah, this so-called Hero Squad, just a selfish, self-serving bunch of fools. They’re only worried someone else getting too close to the hero might threaten their own positions.”
The nearby juniors turned green in the face, while the vice-captain’s expression darkened ominously as he barked: “Maritisee, shut your mouth! Mind your place, you have no right to say such things!”
Maritisee’s neck shrank back as she timidly glanced at her vice-captain, not daring to utter another word.
Though she outranked him as captain, when the vice-captain was truly angered, he was terrifying.
Of course, Maritisee understood what the vice-captain meant – her status did not permit her to recklessly comment on the high council’s arrangements. But her frank nature made it difficult to hold her tongue.
An unrepentant blunt speaker to the core.
Qin Chu held no dislike for Maritisee. In fact, he rather appreciated her honest simplicity – such sincere women were quite rare in the Heavenly Continent nowadays.
On the Heavenly Path, he kept a tally of those who had wronged him.
But he also did not forget the handful who genuinely wished him well.
Maritisee was one of them. In the previous loop before Qin Chu had grown in strength, Maritisee would alternate guard duty with Nikles to protect him, just like now.
With a younger brother killed by demon beast claws, Maritisee harbored immense hatred towards the beasts and the inaction of the higher-ups.
Yet in performing her duties, Maritisee was utterly devoted, valuing Qin Chu’s life more than her own.
When Qin Chu fell into extreme self-reproach and guilt after helplessly witnessing a group torn to shreds by demon beasts, it was the simple-minded but bold Maritisee who embraced him, consoling: “You may not have saved those people now, but in the future you can save far more.”
Reviving Qin Chu’s flagging determination.
When the demon beast higher-ups marked Qin Chu a threat and sent masses of assassins after him, Maritisee risked her life shielding him, undeterred even as her armor shattered and she was grievously wounded – never retreating a single step until every last killer was slain.
Only then did she finally collapse into Qin Chu’s arms, having held her ground with a greatsword until reinforcements arrived.
Her greatest regret before dying was not witnessing the Heavenly Continent’s peace, and her family’s Explosive Battle Qi being lost to her generation.
Maritisee’s time by Qin Chu’s side was not long, a mere half-year. Yet she would forever be someone he could never forget.
This world was not wholly devoid of warmth, but those faint sparks paled in comparison to the overwhelming frost…
Qin Chu had already planned to eliminate the original Hero Squad members, leaving vacancies that perhaps Maritisee could fill.
Silently observing her, a faint smile curved Qin Chu’s lips.
That smile made the vice-captain’s hair stand on end as he forcefully bowed Maritisee’s head in apology: “Lord Hero, Maritisee merely misspoke. She absolutely meant no disrespect towards the Hero Squad, you must not…”
The guards’ anxious state made Qin Chu burst into laughter. “No need for such tension, I’ll treat those earlier words as unheard…”
The others breathed a slight sigh of relief.
If word got out they had schemed against Hero Squad members behind the hero’s back, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After a pause, Qin Chu continued: “To exterminate the demon beasts outside the city is indeed beyond my current abilities. But clearing out the rats within should still be manageable.”
The surrounding guards immediately recalled the assassination attempt on the hero at the banquet. From his words, many more of these demon beast assassins disguised as humans still lurked about? And the Lord Hero could locate them?
Qin Chu smiled without further explanation. After Angelica prepared the food and he quickly ate his fill, he sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes.
“Shaye, give me a wake up call in two hours…”
He was simply too exhausted, barely a moment’s rest since being reborn.
Though ignorant of the Lord Hero’s intent, no one dared disturb him, merely encircling in silence.
Time ticked by second after second, the hero remaining utterly motionless – appearing to have fallen asleep.
Yet surely the Lord Hero had not truly dozed off. He must be using his transcendent Authorities to sense the demon beasts lurking within the city.
Two hours later, Shub-Niggurath’s piercing shriek in Qin Chu’s ear made his body jolt, eyes snapping open.
He almost collapsed just from rising, legs trembling unsteadily. Thankfully, Angelica and Maritisee quickly propped up his arms to prevent an embarrassing tumble.
Sitting cross-legged for so long was truly ill-advised – his legs had fallen asleep.
“Huff…” Qin Chu panted heavily, waiting for the prickling numbness to pass. “I’ve sensed the trails of a group of demon beasts hiding in the city. We’ll go eradicate them now…”
Those words made the others’ eyes redden.
Look at this exemplary hero.
See that pallid countenance, those trembling legs, that ragged breathing – clear signs of utter exhaustion.
Yet in such a state, his sole focus remained exterminating demon beasts.
Truly too magnificent!
