Chapter 282: My Hand Slipped
The camp of the Southern Unified Empire's vanguard legion passed several more days in a strange calm.
By day, the march was as sluggish as ever; by night, the security became increasingly tight. The air was heavy with the feeling of a gathering storm.
One night, seemingly no different from the rest.
Until the second wave of assassins arrived.
Several black shadows, more concealed and emanating a more dangerous aura than before, pounced toward Rhodes and Serie's tent once again.
Their coordination was tricky, utilizing weapons and magical items with anti-magic effects. Clearly, they had learned from the previous attempt, where Serie's single shield had blocked everything.
These people even carried a resolve to perish together with their targets.
However, the result was no different.
They were lucky—or perhaps intentionally lured—into the tent.
Then, all mana fluctuations inside the tent fell silent instantly. Only a few extremely brief muffled sounds were heard, along with a scream or two forcibly choked off in the throat.
Afterward, everything returned to silence.
Rhodes and Serie walked out slowly. Behind them lay several corpses, rapidly growing cold. The manner of their death was identical to the previous ones.
"It seems the magic in their bodies is triggered passively, not remotely controlled."
The reason Rhodes had lured these assassins into the tent was to verify if the self-destruct magic inside them was controlled by someone from afar.
It appeared to be a very special restrictive spell.
"Are you interested?" Rhodes turned to Serie. "It wouldn't be difficult to decipher it."
"Not interested."
Serie shook her head. She had little interest in magic used to control people, and frankly, she looked down on such methods.
Soon, the Legion Commander arrived again with his personal guards, his face ashen.
Looking at the corpses on the ground, the corner of his eye twitched violently. Suppressing his rage, he repeated the excuse no one believed. "I didn't expect assassins again. Startling you two was this General's negligence..."
This time, Serie didn't ignore him as she had before.
Her golden eyes turned to the Commander, and a mocking arc curled at the corner of her mouth. Without any warning, her finger pointed casually forward.
Hum—!
A beam of blazing white light, radiating an aura of destruction, instantly tore through the night sky, shooting straight for his head.
The Commander's face changed drastically.
He wasn't a mage, and his martial skills were only above average. Faced with such a terrifying magical attack, he didn't even have time to react. He could only feel the aura of death rapidly approaching.
Fortunately, he wasn't facing this alone.
"Protect the Commander!"
Several Court Mages accompanying him had been on high alert. Seeing Serie move, they reacted instantly, roaring as they poured their full strength into constructing layer upon layer of magical shields.
Various defensive spells lit up instantly, barely intercepting the white beam.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rang out.
The magical shields shattered layer by layer. The dissipating energy shockwave knocked the surrounding soldiers off their feet.
Finally, after shattering a full seven layers of defensive magic, the white beam exhausted its energy and dissipated into the air.
The faces of the mages were pale; clearly, the mana consumption had been massive.
The Commander stood frozen in place. Although unharmed, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his back was soaked through.
He looked at Serie with lingering fear and incredulous anger.
"Serie! What is the meaning of this?!" the Commander roared, forgetting even superficial respect, trying to use bluster to cover the fear in his heart.
Serie retracted her finger gently. Looking at the flustered and exasperated Commander, she shook her head with a hint of regret.
If she had killed the Commander just now, perhaps she could have forced this vanguard legion to make their move early.
But unfortunately, it didn't succeed.
Rhodes wouldn't allow her to attack again. She understood him.
He was definitely willing to give these people another chance—a chance to live.
Whether they could grasp it was hard to say.
"Do not be nervous. My hand slipped," she replied lightly, her tone exactly the same as the perfunctory one he had used just moments ago.
"Heh! Do you think I would believe such a careless excuse? Do you wish to openly make an enemy of the Southern Unified Empire?!"
The Commander obviously didn't believe her.
Hand slipped and released a magical attack of such terrifying power?
He had felt it clearly just now—this damned elf had aimed to kill him.
If he hadn't been prepared and arranged for these Court Mages to follow him, he would likely be a corpse right now.
Faced with the Commander's questioning, the mocking smile on Serie's face grew more pronounced. Her lips parted lightly, spitting out three airy words:
"So what?"
So what?!
Three simple words, yet more insulting than any retort.
As if the behemoth that was the Southern Unified Empire was nothing more than chickens and pottery dogs in her eyes, unworthy of a second glance.
The Commander trembled with rage. His face turned from green to purple, his fists clenched until the knuckles cracked.
Absolute humiliation!
He had never been subjected to such contempt.
But he didn't dare to move.
Because His Majesty's final order hadn't arrived yet.
Without the action of the Holy Sword wielder, without the permission for the whole army to move, if he attacked directly now, it would only anger His Majesty, who might even use him as a scapegoat.
He stared fixedly at Serie, trying to find traces of bluffing in her eyes. But he saw only icy indifference and a playful look, as if she were expecting him to attack.
This elf... she is doing it on purpose!
She is deliberately provoking me!
The Commander suddenly realized this.
But why would she do this? Is she truly not afraid of going to war with an entire elite Imperial legion?
Just as the atmosphere reached a freezing point, about to explode, Rhodes's calm voice rang out, breaking the deadly silence.
"Alright. This boring marching game should end."
His gaze swept over the Commander and the still-shaken mages behind him. "Your provisions cannot support a march to the northern front lines at all. There is no need to pretend to move forward anymore."
"Just camp here. We can take this opportunity to see what tricks your Emperor still wants to play."
"Or rather, when he intends to reveal the surprise he prepared for us."
He paused, looking in the direction of the Southern Capital.
"Furthermore, I am still willing to give you another chance. It is not too late to make a choice now. After all, I consider myself a good person."
The Commander's face grew even uglier, as if he had swallowed a fly.
The other party had indeed figured out their insufficient provisions. He had tried to keep them away from the supply wagons; how had they discovered it?
As for the latter part of Rhodes's speech, the Commander ignored it completely.
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