Chapter 435: The Four Sisters
The Pride Witch.
He hadn’t expected such a bonus.
He felt a strange pull towards her, a sense that she was important.
Compared to her, Alfred was insignificant.
Athena then recounted her encounter with Alfred and Tuttle, emphasizing Tuttle’s strangeness. While Alfred seemed to be the main instigator, she felt Tuttle was more dangerous, more unsettling.
Qin Chu made a mental note of the name.
…
The next day, at noon.
Milo arrived at the inn, inviting Qin Chu to a banquet at the palace.
She knew he was with two members of the Hero Squad, so she naturally invited them as well. Even without their association with the Hero, their strength alone made them worthy of respect.
But Athena and Sylph declined. They had other tasks.
Athena, using her rodent network, would gather intelligence within the city. But while doing so, she was vulnerable, her focus entirely on the incoming information. Sylph would act as her bodyguard.
Milo, despite her size, her fur, and her club, was a surprisingly gracious princess. While clearly upset by last night’s events, she seemed to have recovered completely, her demeanor cheerful and polite as she explained Exeter’s customs and traditions to Qin Chu during their journey to the palace.
They soon reached the palace gates.
Three figures waited to greet them.
The first to catch Qin Chu’s eye was a tall, striking woman.
He had thought Athena was unique, but this woman…
Her tall, curvy figure, even concealed by Exeter’s conservative attire, was undeniably alluring, her skin fair and smooth, her face delicate, her golden eyes tilted slightly upwards, a hint of mischief within them.
And her golden, pointed ears, the three fluffy tails swaying gently behind her… He wanted to touch them, to bury his face in their softness.
A faint smile played on her beautiful lips.
She reminded him of a nine-tailed fox.
A creature of immense charm, even more so than a Succubus.
If a Succubus was pure lust, then she was innocent lust.
Noticing his gaze, Milo bit her lip, then, seemingly unfazed, introduced her: “Hero, this is my second sister, Phine.”
He didn’t stare, his resistance to beautiful women having increased considerably. He merely bowed slightly: “Your Highness, you’re truly a vision of unparalleled beauty.”
“And you, Hero, are even more charming than I imagined,” she replied, her voice like the gentle tinkling of a stream, her golden eyes flickering between him and Milo.
Unparalleled beauty? What kind of compliment was that?
While he had never heard it before, it pleased him. It was far more elegant than the usual clichés used by the nobles.
He smiled, accustomed to such flattery: “Is that so? It seems my reputation precedes me.”
His playful tone made her giggle, her laughter like the tinkling of bells.
“Ahem…” Milo interrupted, pointing to another girl: “This is my third sister, Selma.”
The catgirl.
A white cat, apparently.
Her long, white hair reached her knees, framing her small, cute face, her eyes a mesmerizing blend of innocence and something else, her white, furry ears twitching occasionally.
The last one was a small, delicate girl with long, sea-blue hair and matching eyes, her beauty more conventional.
She seemed shy, hiding behind her second sister, despite the presence of their guest.
“Apologies…” Phine said, giving up on coaxing her forward. “My little sister is rather shy.”
“The apologies should be mine, Your Highnesses. I’ve intruded upon you,” Qin Chu said politely.
“Nonsense, Hero. Your presence is an honor for our humble kingdom.”
They led him into the palace.
Milo deliberately positioned Phine and Selma beside him.
Her youngest sister was too young, too shy. She wasn’t a suitable candidate for marriage.
The potential brides were clearly Phine and Selma.
It was understandable. This was a princess’s duty. They both understood, their prolonged singlehood merely due to the lack of a suitable partner.
They chattered excitedly, Qin Chu responding politely, maintaining a pleasant atmosphere.
Within the palace, the old king waited.
While Exeter was remote, unlikely to be involved in any conflict with the Auville Empire, he wasn’t careless. He had spies within the Empire, keeping him informed.
He had just received several reports, all about Qin Chu.
The Second Hero had become the new Pope.
Augustus and Loseweisse’s conflict, Augustus’s death, Loseweisse’s disappearance, Qin Chu’s ascension, his ruthless purge of the Holy See’s high-ranking members… The old king envied him. His own kingdom lacked such powerful individuals.
And the thousands of clerics he had executed…
This new Pope was clearly different from his predecessors. He didn’t care about public opinion, about maintaining appearances.
If you were his enemy, a swift death was a mercy.
And there was another rumor circulating within the Imperial City: on the night of his ascension, he had led a group of clerics to the front lines, assisting the Imperial army in annihilating two hundred thousand Demon Beasts, even personally slaying Dicken, the Demon King’s third son.
Such power was beyond Exeter’s capabilities.
His presence in the Empire was a threat.
And what puzzled the king most was the timing. He had become Pope, slain the Demon Beasts, and arrived in Exeter, all on the same night.
Did he possess some kind of duplication ability?
He dismissed the thought. One thing was certain: he couldn’t afford to offend Qin Chu.
Offering his daughters was a crude but effective tactic.
He quickly replaced his grim expression with a warm smile, hurrying over to greet Qin Chu, grasping his hands: “Hero! I’ve long heard of your exploits, your victories against the Demon Beasts, your slaying of their Second Prince. You’re a true hero! I’ve been meaning to visit you, but affairs of state…”
“This is my father, King Edson,” Milo introduced him.
“Your Majesty, you’re too kind. I’ve merely done my duty. It is you, Your Majesty, whose wisdom and benevolence are renowned throughout the land. Exeter, under your rule, is a true paradise, a model for all nations,” Qin Chu replied, returning the compliment.
Milo rolled her eyes. This mutual flattery was embarrassing.
After a lengthy exchange of pleasantries, they finally reached the banquet hall.
Only a small group was present: Qin Chu, King Edson, and his four daughters.
It was more of a dinner than a banquet.
But the food was lavish, and Edson had Phine and Selma constantly refilling Qin Chu’s glass, clearly trying to facilitate a connection.
The girls’ sweet fragrance, their occasional touches, their soft skin, their seductive voices…
Qin Chu accepted their attention, their wine, but he maintained a polite distance.
After a few rounds of drinks, he finally got down to business: “Your Majesty, I have another reason for visiting your kingdom.”
Edson placed his glass down, sensing the moment had arrived: “Oh? And what is that, Hero? If I can be of assistance…”
“On the night of the First Hero’s death, meteors fell across the land. One seemed to have landed within the Exeter Kingdom.”
“I was wondering if your kingdom had investigated this matter.”
Edson’s eyes narrowed slightly: “The night of the First Hero’s death?” He thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, of course. We investigated. It landed near the capital, causing a minor earthquake and a landslide.”
Qin Chu’s eyes flickered: “Did you find anything… unusual?”
He activated a magical image, revealing Jie Luo’s soul fragment.
Edson’s face paled, and he stood up abruptly: “Hero, you’re too late! It’s already gone!”
Chapter 436: Eileen Reappears
Stolen?
This outcome was truly beyond Qin Chu’s expectations.
But he quickly regained his composure. In this world, the number of people collecting Jie Luo’s soul fragments could be counted on one hand: himself, Loseweisse, and Eileen, who had disappeared after her failed assassination attempt on Shaye.
Could the thief be either Loseweisse or Eileen?
It seemed that even Milo, Selma, and Phine were unaware of this. All three women looked surprised.
The youngest princess seemed especially startled, her face pale.
“Your Majesty,” Qin Chu asked, “could you tell me more?”
Edson didn’t refuse: “At the time, I wasn’t king yet, just a prince.”
“After the meteor fell, I was ordered by my father to investigate the scene personally. Only a large crater remained, everything around it turned to dust, except for a glass-like crystal, shimmering in the sunlight.”
“I was curious, so I brought it back to the capital. But after multiple examinations yielded no results, it was placed in the royal treasury.”
“I had almost forgotten about it.”
“But last night, the treasury was breached. The guards were killed, the locks and wards broken, the traps disabled…”
“But after taking inventory, we discovered nothing of value was missing, except for that crystal.”
Edson’s face was creased with frustration.
Whoever had done this was clearly a master thief, capable of killing the guards and bypassing the security measures. But why take only the crystal, especially now that the Hero himself was asking about it?
He had been so blind, so oblivious to the treasure’s true value, having kept it for so long.
Qin Chu’s eyes narrowed, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass.
There were only two suspects: Loseweisse and Eileen.
And of the two, while Loseweisse could easily kill the guards, she wouldn’t be able to disable the complex traps and wards.
So, the thief must have been Eileen, the missing member of the former Hero Squad.
Of course, it was also possible they were working together.
“Did anyone see the thief?” he asked.
Edson shook his head: “They were all killed. No witnesses.”
“And their wounds?”
“Their throats were slit… by something incredibly sharp. And the wounds were unusual, as if caused by a thin wire wrapped around their necks.”
Metal threads. The Twin Thieves’ signature weapon.
Interesting. This trip to Exeter was proving more fruitful than anticipated. He had not only a lead on another Witch, but also a potential encounter with an old enemy.
He quickly assessed the situation. Eileen, with her strength, could easily escape the city. Those guards at the gate wouldn’t be able to stop her.
Normally, she would have left after obtaining the fragment.
But he couldn’t be certain.
Athena and Sylph had been here for days. If Eileen discovered their presence, given her hatred for them, she might try to kill them.
If that was the case, then she was likely still here.
“Your Majesty,” he said, a plan forming in his mind, “could you do me a favor?”
“Of course, Hero. Anything.”
“Announce my arrival. Just my presence in Exeter. Nothing else.”
While Edson was puzzled, he agreed.
If Eileen was still here, knowing Qin Chu was also in Exeter might provoke her. He wanted to draw her attention.
Eileen, like Loseweisse, was ruthless. Loseweisse had killed her own mother. Eileen had killed her own sister.
They were both dangerous women.
The banquet continued, Milo excusing herself to relay his request. The news of his arrival would soon spread throughout the city.
During the meal, Phine and Selma tried their best to capture his attention, while the youngest princess, Suna, remained shy and withdrawn, even trembling slightly whenever their gazes met.
She was incredibly timid.
He wasn’t that frightening, was he?
But she was actually quite cute, her large, almost anime-like eyes, their blue depths tinged with a faint crimson, blinking nervously.
She would be a beauty when she grew older, rivaling even her sisters.
As he rose to leave that afternoon, Milo, Phine, and Selma escorted him out, leaving only Suna with their father.
“What do you think?” Edson asked suddenly.
His youngest daughter, the shyest of the four, the one who had hidden behind her sister earlier, now displayed a surprising maturity, her face impassive.
“They say the Hero is driven by lust, yet he resisted Phine and Selma’s charms, maintaining a respectful distance throughout the banquet.”
“I sensed his emotions, his heartbeat. It’s unusual. But it did accelerate slightly in their presence. He’s not immune to their allure, but he can control himself.”
“He’s cunning, deceptive. His lustful reputation is a facade, a way to make others underestimate him.”
“While Phine and Selma are incredibly alluring, and few men can resist them, they won’t be able to control him.”
“He knows which women to touch, and which to avoid. He hasn’t touched Carol, Wadsworth’s daughter, and he’s kept his distance from Loseweisse.”
“Do you understand, Father? If you want to achieve your goal, you need my help.”
“Underestimating him will be costly.”
Suna’s voice was strangely different, even her address, calling him “Father” instead of the usual endearments.
Edson turned to look at her, his heart skipping a beat despite having seen this before.
His daughter’s appearance had changed completely.
Her small, slender figure remained the same.
But her eyes and hair were now crimson, her delicate face cold and sharp, a cruel smile playing on her lips, two sharp fangs, like a vampire’s, visible.
She exuded a sinister, captivating aura.
This wasn’t his daughter. It was Eileen, a member of the former Hero Squad.
The thief who had slain the guards and stolen Jie Luo’s soul fragment.
Her disguise had been perfect, mimicking his daughter’s shyness so convincingly that even Milo, Selma, and Phine hadn’t noticed.
And with her small frame, she couldn’t have impersonated any of the other princesses. The eldest was too tall and imposing, and Phine’s voluptuous figure was beyond her reach. Damn that busty bitch. One day… Even Selma, while not as exaggerated, was still curvier than she could ever hope to be.
She had deliberately informed Qin Chu of the soul fragment being in Exeter, to lure him here.
That foolish Hero, thinking he could control her, while she was plotting his demise.
Who was the hunter, and who the prey?
He still had two more fragments. She wouldn’t let him keep them.
Edson’s face darkened. He didn’t answer her question directly: “Do you really think we can defeat him? I don’t like our odds.”
“Augustus and Loseweisse have already lost. He even killed the Second and Third Demon Beast Princes. What makes you think we can win?”
“We can’t do it alone. But… there are many who resent the Hero. I’ll find suitable partners.”
If she had been confident, she would have already acted.
She could sense his growing strength. He was no longer an easy target.
But she couldn’t let him leave Exeter, not while he was still vulnerable.
She had decided. She would kill him here, collect his blood. As for the rest… she would figure it out later. She couldn’t plan that far ahead on her own.
“For now, we need to keep him here.”
“And don’t tell him about me. You know the consequences,” she warned, then vanished.
