Chapter 121: General

Snow fell in flurries, drifting down with the wind, cloaking the entire city in a blanket of white.

In a mansion within the city, fresh blood stained the white snow, creating a desolately beautiful, tragic sight as their colors mingled.

Rita Ricardo led her group through the mansion, examining the numerous corpses on the ground and assessing their causes of death.

She was a woman, but possessed a rather burly physique, lacking any conventionally feminine grace. Her face was covered in pockmarks, and her brown hair was a messy tangle. By any standard, her appearance was rather intimidating.

Yet, standing here, her presence inspired a genuine sense of security among the many soldiers of the Akti Kingdom nearby.

For she was a General of the Akti Kingdom!

In the Akti Kingdom, to become a general, one unquestionably needed the rank of High-Rank Apostle. Rita was precisely a High-Rank Apostle!

Over the past few days, incidents had occurred in numerous towns under Akti Kingdom’s jurisdiction. Even many Apostles had been killed, drawing the kingdom’s serious attention. Rita had been dispatched specifically to investigate these matters.

Rita was extremely cautious about this issue, because among the dead were quite a few Mid-Rank Apostles. This led her to suspect that the one secretly targeting the Akti Kingdom was a High-Rank Apostle. But who could it be?

The rank of High-Rank Apostle was not something anyone could reach. Generally, possessing such a rank meant one could live comfortably almost anywhere and was certainly no nameless individual.

“Lord General, what shall we do next?”

At that moment, someone beside her asked Rita.

The Akti Kingdom personnel in this city had already been dealt with. But judging by the corpses, they hadn’t been dead for long, meaning the killer likely hadn’t traveled far. If they pursued now, they might catch up.

But which direction should they take?

Rita quickly made a decision. Her pockmarked face twisted into a grin that others would find menacing. “We’re heading to Faye Town next.”

In Rita’s view, the killer’s travel route showed a pattern. They had been moving southeast ever since leaving Rhine City. It was highly probable they would continue in this direction. The next town under Akti Kingdom control along this route was Faye Town.

Going there offered the possibility of finding the culprit.

After the killer finishes the murders, they release the people the kingdom captured for the mines. They might also have some understanding of the Mist Crystal Vein situation. This information is vitally important to the kingdom and must not be leaked. The culprit must be found as soon as possible.

After the thought flashed through her mind, Rita swiftly departed the city with her numerous subordinates and headed southeast.

==========

The snow was getting heavier.

Mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers were all smeared with dense white.

The carriage’s speed had to slow under such conditions. It took Amelia and Eileen longer than expected to reach Faye Town.

“This is the last target.” Amelia observed the small town before her. “Once we’ve handled things here, we can head to the Starlight River Territory. I wonder if Harold and the others have arrived there yet.”

“Although they departed a day before us, they likely haven’t arrived yet,” Eileen judged based on her experience.

After all, Harold’s group was larger and carried many things, preventing them from traveling quickly.

“So, we might actually get there ahead of them, if we don’t run into any problems on the way,” Amelia said, looking again at the distant town.

“Your Majesty, we must remain cautious. Accidents can happen at any time.” Eileen’s expression was serious. “We’ve caused no small amount of trouble for the Akti Kingdom. They cannot possibly ignore this and will certainly make a response.”

Amelia nodded. “You’re right.”

As they spoke, the two drove the carriage into Faye Town.

Inside the small town, everything was already stained white by the snow. The chilly air threaded through the wide yet desolate streets.

The weather was so cold that most people were unwilling to venture outdoors, preferring to stay inside by their fires. Thus, the streets of Faye Town were eerily silent. Occasionally, an open shop could be seen, but no customers were visiting.

The carriage navigated the streets of Faye Town until it arrived near the town’s Garrison Barracks.

This location was now occupied by the Akti Kingdom, with the kingdom’s soldiers stationed there. Usually, the soldiers would be dispersed throughout Faye Town to maintain order.

Today was no exception. Most of the soldiers were out on patrol, leaving only a small number behind at the barracks.

Approaching discreetly, Amelia and Eileen parked their carriage in an inconspicuous corner before heading towards the Garrison Barracks through the thick, drifting snow.

==========

Rita had already arrived in Faye Town.

She wasn’t alone; a group accompanied her. There were four Mid-Rank Apostles and ten Low-Rank Apostles, each skilled in different abilities. Their coordinated support could provide her with significant assistance, giving her confidence in victory even against another High-Rank Apostle.

After arriving in Faye Town, Rita and her group rode straight for the Garrison Barracks on horseback.

Their speed was considerable, but upon reaching the barracks, they found they were still a step too late.

“The scent of blood.”

Outside the Garrison Barracks, Rita sniffed the air, and her face immediately darkened.

Too late.

However…

Rita looked towards the southeast. A carriage was just disappearing over the horizon there.

A carriage appearing at this time, in this place, was too suspicious to ignore.

“After it!”

Rita shouted in her rough voice and immediately spurred her horse in pursuit.

==========

Having dealt with those who needed dealing with yet again, Amelia sat inside the carriage, ready to move on to the next location.

They could now head directly to the Starlight River Territory. But before that, they intended to visit the location of the Mist Crystal Vein to see if there was anything they could do there.

Having eliminated so many people from the Akti Kingdom, Amelia naturally had long since discovered what kind of mine the kingdom had found and knew its location.

A place like that, however, would undoubtedly be heavily guarded by the Akti Kingdom. It was unknown how much strength they had stationed there. Making a reckless move against it, even with Eileen present, might not end well.

So Amelia’s objective was clear: she planned to go and scout the situation. Any subsequent action would have to wait until after she assessed the mine’s defenses.

As Amelia was contemplating further plans, the bullet comments before her eyes suddenly became dense.

Her attention immediately shifted to the comments. Her eyes quickly scanned several, and she immediately understood that the scene the viewers were seeing had shifted elsewhere.

[Isn’t that Rita? She’s as recognizable as ever.]

[A new lady has appeared. Whose waifu is she? Everyone feel free to express your affections.]

[You can keep this “lady” for yourself.]

[My heart belongs only to Amelia and Eileen. Don’t talk to me about anyone else.]

[Is Rita chasing after Amelia and Eileen? That gal is a High-Rank Apostle, and a pretty strong one at that. She won’t be easy to deal with.]

Seeing the numerous comments, Amelia’s expression immediately turned serious.

Someone was pursuing them?

She turned around, opened the rear window of the carriage compartment a crack, and peered out. Behind them, over a dozen riders on tall horses were closing in. The leader was a woman. Her physique looked exceptionally burly; it was almost hard to tell she was female. But such a build gave her an intensely oppressive presence.

That was Rita?

Someone from the Akti Kingdom?

Understanding dawned on Amelia. She immediately told Eileen, who was driving the carriage, “Eileen, there are people chasing us from behind. They’re approaching aggressively. It’s highly likely they’re from the Akti Kingdom.”

“Your Majesty, shall we turn around and deal with them?” Eileen asked.

“Be careful, Eileen,” Amelia said cautiously. “We’ve eliminated several Mid-Rank Apostles along the way. The Akti Kingdom wouldn’t ignore this information. If they dare send people after us, their strength must be considerable. We must be cautious.”

“But Your Majesty, if we ignore them, they will eventually catch up. The carriage cannot outrun riderless horses.” Eileen glanced behind them.

“In that case… mm, let’s give them a brief response. If the situation turns unfavorable, we’ll kill their horses and make our escape.” Amelia quickly made her decision after a moment’s thought.

Having decided, Amelia fumbled in her pack and retrieved the Hair Dye Potion. She quickly dyed her hair a watery blue, just in case.

By now, the sound of hoofbeats behind them had become distinct, rapidly drawing closer.

“Carriage ahead, stop! We are from the Akti Kingdom. Cease immediately and submit to questioning!”

Rita’s rough voice called out from behind.

The carriage, naturally, did not stop.

Amelia moved to the driver’s seat, taking the reins from Eileen. Eileen picked up her silver-white longsword, “Crescent Moon,” and leaped off the moving carriage.

Her long silver-white hair fluttered gently in the snowy wind. She wore a black and white Maid Outfit, her pretty face carrying a hint of coldness, her red eyes fixed on the pursuers behind.

Rita charged forward, leading the group. Seeing Eileen poised to intercept them, she showed no hesitation. She gripped her weapons with both hands.

Her weapons were a pair of hammers, their shape resembling pumpkins, gleaming with a cold luster. Just looking at them sent a chill down one’s spine involuntarily.

“Whoosh, whoosh!”

Amidst the icy wind and snow, Rita quickly rode up to Eileen, swinging a hammer down at her.

Eileen neither dodged nor flinched. She swung her sword to meet Rita’s hammer. But just as the sword and hammer were about to collide, Eileen subtly altered her attack’s trajectory, causing the blade to slide past the hammer and slash towards Rita’s wrist.

Also a High-Rank Apostle, and a general at that, Rita’s reaction was naturally swift. As Eileen changed her attack angle, Rita flicked her wrist nimbly to avoid the strike, while the hammer in her other hand was already closing in on Eileen’s head.

Eileen twisted sideways, dodging the blow.

In their first exchange, neither had landed a hit on the other. They brushed past each other.

“You’re the one who killed our kingdom’s people, aren’t you?” Rita stopped her horse and turned to face Eileen. “Who are you? Why are you targeting our Akti Kingdom?”

Eileen didn’t answer.

She was never one for idle words, preferring to let actions speak. She simply charged at Rita, sword raised.

Seeing this, Rita’s ugly face formed a fierce grin.

She wasn’t much of a talker either, actually. Eileen’s direct approach rather suited her taste. Rita immediately dismounted, took up her twin hammers, and strode through the snow towards Eileen.

“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang…”

The two rapidly clashed, their weapons colliding numerous times in a short span.

Rita also followed the Faith of the God of War’s Sword. This faith granted powers related to the sword and physique. The abilities Rita had mastered were all physique-based, a fact evident from the weapons she wielded.

As Rita and Eileen fought, the others accompanying Rita quickly approached.

“Don’t mind me! Go intercept the carriage and capture whoever is inside!” Rita commanded directly.

Hearing Rita’s order, the others didn’t pause for a moment. They moved to bypass the two combatants and head for Amelia’s carriage.

Eileen narrowed her eyes.

She made a swift movement to disengage from Rita, intending to strike the others first. But as Eileen moved, Rita’s body moved just as nimbly, blocking Eileen’s path.

Despite Rita’s burly frame, which might suggest clumsiness, she proved exceptionally agile when in motion.

Eileen feinted again, trying to evade Rita, but Rita clung to her like a persistent shadow, preventing Eileen from targeting the others.

This situation didn’t make Eileen give up. She suddenly leaped backward, putting distance between herself and Rita. Then, she swung her sword at the empty air. As the cold blade sliced through the wind and snow, arcs of Sword Aura shot forth, howling through the blizzard and tearing through the swirling snow as they flew towards the others.

The trajectories of the Sword Aura arcs were far from Rita. Yet, Rita simply smiled with ease. She flung her arms forward, and her two arms bizarrely extended in length, stretching over a dozen meters. They rapidly reached ahead of the others, her hammers swinging to intercept and neutralize every arc of Sword Aura Eileen had launched.

“Limb Extension?”

Amelia recognized this ability, and her brows furrowed slightly.

This Rita was troublesome.